Byrd Polar & Climate Research Center Seminar Series presents:
Lake Records of Climate and Human History
Dr. Mark Abbot
Professor & Chair, Geology & Planetary Science, University of Pittsburgh
Abstract:
Combining stratigraphic analyses of lacustrine sediments with geochemical, biogeochemical, and stable isotopic measurements provides a wealth of information about the timing, duration, and magnitude of climate change and human activities. One of the fundamental questions we currently face is: How will future climate and environmental change impact society? For instance, water availability is a central concern as highlighted by recent events such as the California drought. Lake sediments are reliable recorders of past drought and pollution history and can be used to produce long-term records providing an important perspective on recent change. Sediments from lakes, bogs, and wetlands are found worldwide and provide continuous layered archives that can be analyzed and dated to investigate geographic and temporal patterns.
Although the majority of my work is focused on documenting past hydroclimate variability, lacustrine sediments also archive sedimentary and geochemical evidence of past human impact including the timing and intensity of activities such as mining, smelting, and agricultural land use. I will present recent findings from ongoing projects in the Andes and American west showing how lake sediments are used to produce records of drought history and put these findings into a larger context. Further, I will discuss recent work highlighting the potential of lake sediments to investigate human activities in places with long histories of occupation including the Andes, China, and even northern Michigan’s copper belt. One of the major findings is that people have been impacting the landscape in ways we can measure for much longer than previously appreciated.
