An analysis of the assumptions which must be made when ancient climate is inferred from the fossil record reveals that one must accept the Principle of Uniformitarianism and quite possibly the Theory of Evolution in order to determine the climate. Under the assumption that the earth has undergone a world-wide flood of a year's duration, it is impossible to determine what the pre-flood climate was like. The implications of this are that all current flood models which attempt to satisfy the warm earth criteria may be satisfying a situation which never existed.