Comparison of palaeoclimate simulations enhances confidence in models

The Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project (PMIP) [Joussaume and Taylor, 2000] is an international project involving members of all major climate modeling groups worldwide. Endorsed by the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), PMIP was launched in 1994 to provide a framework for evaluating climate models. By examining climate change that occurred when the external forcings were large and relatively well known and for which geological evidence exists, PMIP plans to determine the models' ability to reproduce climate states that are radically different from those of today