| Summary: | Major features of global climate change are indicated in marine isotope records that have basic similarities throughout the world. It is generally assumed, without good dating control, that climate records derived from terrestrial sedimentary records have corresponding phase and amplitude variation. This assumption appears to be valid for most of the northern hemisphere but may break down over much of Australia. On this continent there is evidence for different forcing influences from North Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean sources and that the relative influence of these forcings changes over time. There may be some similarities between Australia and South America and Africa, but longer and more securely dated records from the latter continents are required to verify them. Elucidation of these patterns is one reason for proposing the INQUA Palaeoclimate Commission project ‘Land-Ocean correlation of long Quaternary records from the southern hemisphere on orbital and sub-orbital timescales’.
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