Preface: Climate, human, and natural systems of the PEP II transect

The preface to this special issue "Climate, Human and Natural Systems of the PEP II Transect", a synthesis of 11 papers from the PAGES PEP II (Pole-Equator-Pole transect through Australasia), a former working group within the broader framework of the PANASH — Palaeoclimates of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres initiative.