Beyond the hockey stick curve: understanding climate over two millennia (Pôle Simone Veil, Le Harve, France)

Over twenty years ago, climatologist Michael E. Mann, along with Raymond Bradley and Malcolm Hughes, published a now-iconic curve: the ” hockey stick .” This graph, based on the cross-analysis of numerous natural climate indicators—tree rings, ice cores, corals, and lake sediments—profoundly shaped our understanding of global warming by highlighting its exceptional nature on the scale of recent centuries. But behind this seemingly simple representation lies a much richer and more complex climate history.

Through this lecture accessible to all, Michael E. Mann proposes to go back in time nearly two millennia, a period called the ” common era “, to decipher the natural variations of the climate and better understand the scale and uniqueness of current changes.

Drawing on recent advances in paleoclimatology and numerical simulations, he will demonstrate how scientists are able to reconstruct past climates and distinguish natural influences from the effects of human activities. This perspective allows for a better understanding of the mechanisms of current warming, as well as anticipating its future impacts.

Between scientific exploration, contemporary issues and reflection on our future, this meeting offers essential keys to understanding the climate of yesterday, today and tomorrow – and to illuminating the major debates of our time.

More information and online registration can be found here.