vailsymposium

As human emissions rise, we are changing the climate into a state that is unprecedented in human history. How do we know what to expect? While climate modeling can give us good predictions, they are not perfect. In this talk, we’ll discuss how we can use ancient climates of the geological past as a guide for what to expect in the future. Looking at fossil molecules preserved in sediments and rocks, learn how we can reconstruct the climate deep into Earth’s geologic past. Past warm climates in particular yield helpful insights into the changes we can expect in the years to come as we warm the planet. We can also use past climates to improve our climate modeling, leveraging geological information to narrow predictions. By looking at a wide variety of environmental conditions, we can better understand, for example, how rising levels of carbon dioxide will affect our future climate.

Join Paleoclimatologist Dr. Jessica Tierney, whose widely published research on the Earth’s climate over 485 million years is featured in popular media and in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, as she shows us how, and more importantly why, the study of past climates impacts our understanding of our world today.

Recommended reading:
“Scientists have captured Earth’s climate over the last 485 million years. Here’s the surprising place we stand now,” Washington Post