In the United Kingdom, new research coming out of the University of Birmingham outlined a new methodology for estimating ancient atmospheric water content based on fossil plant leaf waxes. The relationship between temperature and moisture content can be explored by the study of intervals in Earth’s history when climates were significantly warmer than those seen in modern times, which necessitates a method for estimating ancient atmospheric moisture content.
Estimating ancient moisture content based on these plant wax compounds overcomes the limitations of other methods because plant waxes are commonly found in soils and sediments stretching back tens or even hundreds of millions of years and across many environments.
The validity of this new plant wax tool was proven in studies of modern soils across the US and Central America. These studies showed a clear relationship between the chemistry of these waxy compounds and the amount of moisture in the atmosphere.