Climate Reconstruction of Southern Palestine Using GIScience and Multi-Proxy Evidence

An interdisciplinary research project that develops a GIScience-based framework for reconstructing past climate variability in the arid and semi-arid regions of southern Palestine. The project integrates multiple lines of evidence including historical documents, archaeological records, geomorphological features, paleohydrological archives, paleoecological indicators & earth observation data to produce robust and transparent climate reconstruction. By combining diverse climate proxies through standardized geospatial methodologies, the project advances our understanding of long-term environmental change, human–environment interactions and the role of climate in shaping past landscapes and societies

Project Objectives

The project pursues five complementary objectives that support the development of an integrated GIScience framework for climate reconstruction in southern Palestine.

  • Integrate multiple climate proxies
    Develop a unified framework that combines historical, archaeological, geomorphological, paleohydrological, paleoecological and Earth Observation evidence to reconstruct past climate variability across southern Palestine.
  • Evaluate climatic evidence
    Assess the reliability, spatial representativeness, temporal resolution, and climatic significance of diverse climate proxies to produce transparent, scientifically robust and reproducible climate reconstructions.
  • Reconstruct regional climate variability
    Investigate long-term hydro-climatic patterns, including periods of increased aridity, humidity and extreme climatic events, through the integration of multiple independent lines of evidence.
  • Advance GIScience for climate reconstruction
    Develop innovative GIScience methodologies for integrating heterogeneous spatial datasets, enabling spatial analysis, uncertainty assessment and interdisciplinary climate research.
  • Improve understanding of human–environment interaction
    Provide a stronger scientific basis for investigating the interactions between climate, landscapes, and human societies, supporting research on long-term environmental change, resilience and human adaptation.

 Publications

Greenbaum, N., Schwartz, U., Zohar, M., Lekach, J. (2024). Makhtesh Hatzera Erosion Cirque, the Negev Desert—Landforms and Sediment Dynamics. In: Frumkin, A., Shtober-Zisu, N. (eds) Landscapes and Landforms of Israel. World Geomorphological Landscapes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-44764-8_18     |     pdf