CAREER: Exploring the Geologic Record of Major Climate Transitions

University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln NE

Investigators

Abstract

This CAREER award will support research and education activities designed to (1) improve understanding of Earth's transition out of the late Paleozoic ice age (LPIA) and (2) communicate the significance of Earth systems history to the general public. Research activities will integrate sedimentological, petrographic, and stable isotopic investigations of Early Permian marine carbonate deposits to improve understanding of the climatic, oceanographic, and ecological changes that accompanied Earth's transition from a deep icehouse to a prolonged greenhouse climate mode. The project will build upon ongoing collaborative work on late Paleozoic strata of eastern Australia, which has resulted in a chronostratigraphic framework tied directly to glaciation. Emphasis will be placed on developing carbon and oxygen isotope profiles that will help to establish the relative timing and character of changes in sea level, climate, and oceanography along a paleolatitudinal transect. Education activities will center around an annual, field-oriented summer course, "History on the Rocks," designed for high school teachers and 9th-10th grade students. The course will focus on climate change and catastrophes in Earth history, as illustrated by a series of world-class geological field sites in Nebraska. The project will result in up to four graduate-level and four undergraduate senior theses. Because the project integrates field and laboratory components, students will amass a broad range of experiences and training in sedimentology, stratigraphy, and geochemistry. In addition to research, UNL students will be expected to help with logistical and educational aspects of "History on the Rocks." They will also help to develop a display and hands-on activity based on research results for an annual family day at the UN State Museum. These activities will provide the UNL students with valuable experience in teaching science and communicating research results to the public. "History on the Rocks" will directly impact up to 15 high school science teachers and 45 9th-10th grade students from across Nebraska, and indirectly affect many more. The course will be offered four times for specific audiences. Two sessions will cater to groups historically under-represented in the geosciences: females and Native Americans. Through activities that incorporate a scientific approach, participants will gain an appreciation of the scientific method, the geoscience profession, and the societal significance of geoscience research.