C
Accronyms and Abbreviations
A.D. Anno Domini (medieval latin–“in the year of the Lord”)
ALOS Advanced Land Observing Satellite
ASTER Advance Spacebourne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer
C3 A plant that produces the 3-carbon compound phosphoglyceric acid as the first stage of photosynthesis
C4 A plant that produces the 4-carbon compound oxalocethanoic (oxaloacetic) acid as the first stage of photosynthesis
CO2 carbon dioxide
DNA deoxyribonucleic acid dpi dots per inch
DSDP Deep Sea Drilling Program
GCM Global Climate Model
GEON Geosciences Network
GPS Global Positioning System
HOP Human Origins Program
ICDP International Continental Scientific Drilling Program
IKONOS Commercial earth observation satellite designed by Lockhead
Martin Corporation and launched in 1999
IODP Integrated Ocean Drilling Program
ITCZ Intertropical Convergence Zone
JAXA Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
ka thousands of years before present
ky thousand years
Landsat The Landsat Program is a series of Earth-observing satellite missions jointly managed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the U.S. Geological Survey. Since 1972, Landsat satellites have collected information about Earth from space.
LDCM LandSat Data Community Mission
LGM Last Glacial Maximum
Ma million of years ago
MBT methylation index of branched tetraethers
MicroCT Microscopic Computed Tomography
MIS Marine Isotope Stage
MODIS Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
NCEP National Centers for Environmental Prediction
NOW Neogene Mammals of the Old World
ODP Ocean Drilling Program
OIS Oxygen Isotope Stage
PAGES Past Global Changes
ppm parts per million
QUICKBIRD a high-resolution commercial Earth observation satellite, owned by DigitalGlobe and launched in 2001
RHOI Revealing Hominid Origins Initiative
SST sea surface temperature
SRTM Shuttle Radar Topogrpahy Mission
TEX86 tetraether index of 86 carbon atoms; paleothermometer based on the composition of membrane lipids of marine picoplankton
UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
YD Younger Dryas