ATHENS, W.Va. – Concord University’s Environmental Geosciences program is hosting a live online presentation by Geological Society of America Distinguished Lecturer Dr. Julie Brigham-Grette. The public is invited to attend this free online lecture and live Q&A on Thursday, Nov. 5th. Dr. Brigham-Grette’s public talk will begin at 4 p.m.
The presentation is titled “The Impact of Lake El’gygytgyn, NE Russia, on our Knowledge of Polar Climate: This changes everything.” A separate virtual lunch with Concord science students will take place at 1 p.m. Concord geosciences professor Dr. Stephen Kuehn will host the event and manage the Q&A.
The sediments of Lake El’gygytgyn preserve valuable information about the Arctic environment. “Lake E.” was formed by a large meteorite impact in northeastern Russia during a time period called the Pliocene when the Earth was warmer than today. In 2009, an international project team drilled into the frozen, ice-covered lake. The project was challenging, yet the team successfully recovered 318 m (> 1000 ft) of lake sediments. These core samples provide a continuous record of past environmental conditions in the Arctic extending from modern times back more than 3 million years, including periods when Greenland and Antarctica had much less ice and sea levels were a lot higher than today. This information also provides scientific tools for better forecasting of how the Arctic regions will respond to continued warming.
Dr. Brigham-Grette is a leading expert in Arctic environmental change and has been conducting research in the Arctic for 40+ years. She currently holds a faculty position at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. She is an elected Fellow of both the Geological Society of America and the American Geophysical Union.
She led the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program at Lake E. and has strong interests in public engagement, using science to inform policy on challenges related to rising sea level. This year, she is also one of two scientists selected as 2020 Distinguished Lecturers by the Continental Scientific Drilling Division of the Geological Society of America.
To participate in this webinar, all are asked to register for free using the following link: https://concorduniv.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VrA7nJIYQ1aKG6NCBaL4ZA. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing details about joining the webinar. During registration there is also an opportunity to provide questions for the speaker in advance of the event. Additional questions will be taken live during the presentation.
This webinar will be recorded. Following the event, the recording will be made available on the Concord University YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/CUCATVIDEO/
For additional information about the event, please contact Dr. Stephen Kuehn at sckuehn@concord.edu.
Concord University’s Environmental Geosciences program is part of the Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences. Program information may be found on the web at https://www.concord.edu/physci/node/3 and via social media on Facebook @ConcordGeoscience and @EGLatCU and on Twitter @CUGeology and @CU_in_the_field.
Persons with disabilities should contact Nancy Ellison, 1-304-384-6086 or 1-800-344-6679 extension 6086 if special assistance is required for access to an event scheduled by the University on campus.
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CONTACT:
Sarah M. Pritchett
Concord University
Office of Advancement
PO Box 1000, Athens, WV 24712
(304) 384-6312, news@concord.edu
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After 4 p.m.
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Office: 304-384-5211
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