Temporal Stratification in Climate Science: Integrating Geological and Instrumental Perspectives Across Temporal Scales

Abstract. This study examines the concept of climate within a multiscale Earth-system perspective, with particular attention to the coexistence of different temporal frameworks across disciplines. In meteorology, climate is commonly defined through statistical properties of atmospheric variables over multi-decadal intervals, whereas geological and paleoclimatic records document long-term climatic states emerging over millennial to multimillion-year timescales. This divergence in temporal scope can lead to interpretive ambiguities when phenomena operating at different scales are considered within a single conceptual framework. Drawing on evidence from geology, paleoclimatology, astronomy, and atmospheric science, this paper proposes a hierarchical temporal structure distinguishing meteorological variability (years to decades), sub-climatic oscillations (centuries), and long-term climatic regimes (millennia and longer). Within this framework, large-scale boundary conditions—such as orbital dynamics, tectonic configurations, and ocean circulation—govern the evolution of long-term climate states, while radiative agents and feedback processes operate primarily within shorter temporal domains. This multiscale perspective does not challenge the physical basis of radiative forcing or contemporary observations, but situates them within a broader temporal architecture of the Earth system. By integrating instrumental records with paleoclimate archives, the proposed framework aims to enhance conceptual clarity and improve the interpretation of climate variability across scales. This approach provides a basis for reconciling disciplinary definitions and for more consistent interpretation of climate dynamics in both short-term and long-term contexts.