Paleothermometer

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A paleothermometer is a methodology that provides an estimate of the ambient temperature at the time of formation of a natural material. Most paleothermometers are based on empirically-calibrated proxy relationships, such as the tree ring or TEX₈₆ methods. Isotope methods, such as the δ¹⁸O method or the clumped-isotope method, are able to provide, at least in theory, direct measurements of temperature.