Non-traditional data to inform modern climate science

The global climate is changing rapidly, with cascading impacts across the world. Even though the modern instrument-based record of Earth observations reflects decades of critical work, multi-century time series may be required to understand and forecast key elements of Earth system dynamics. Here, we review the potential uses of non-traditional climate data records – observations reported without using modern instruments or standardized measurement protocols – to identify climate and ecosystem dynamics that predate modern methodologies and tools. We compile a list of diverse datasets collected over more than 500 years, including landscape paintings, sea lore, and animal migration data. This initial review presents opportunities for further investigation to reconstruct past climate or to use non-traditional records to complement modern instrument methods.

全球气候正经历快速变化，在全球范围内引发连锁影响。即便基于现代仪器的地球观测记录凝聚了数十年的重要研究成果，但若要理解并预测地球系统动力学（Earth system dynamics）的关键要素，仍需依托数百年尺度的时间序列数据。本文综述了非传统气候数据记录（non-traditional climate data records）的潜在应用价值：这类观测数据并非通过现代仪器或标准化测量规程获取，可用于识别早于现代观测方法与工具出现时期的气候与生态系统动态变化。我们整理了一套跨越500余年的多样化数据集，涵盖风景画、海洋民俗知识以及动物迁徙数据等类型。本次初步综述为后续研究指明了方向——可通过重建古气候，或利用非传统记录补充现代仪器观测方法，开展相关探索。