AUTHOR=Miner Kimberley R. , Wong Ethan , Gay Bradley A. , Miller Charles E. 

TITLE=Non-traditional data to inform modern climate science

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Communication

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/communication/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2025.1518768

DOI=10.3389/fcomm.2025.1518768

ISSN=2297-900X

ABSTRACT=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.