August 2004

National Science Foundation

Scientists to probe Earth's deep-time climate at upcoming 'geosystems' workshop





Arlington, Va.-- "GeoSystems: Probing Earth's Deep-Time Climate and Linked Systems" focuses on "deep-time" millions of years ago to better understand the complexities of Earth's atmosphere, water, ecosystems, and geology, using climate as the focus.

National Science Foundation (NSF) and university scientists will participate in a workshop highlighting recent "deep-time" discoveries. Their presentations will address the status, role and future of deep-time climate and linked studies, and the lessons we can learn from shining a light into Earth's deep-time dark ages.

Aspects of our modern climate are now returning to a state last known eons ago. Understanding the ranges, rates, and processes responsible for climate extremes in those ancient times is critical for developing knowledge of our planet's climate system, and for predictions of future climate scenarios.

Recent research on deep-time is changing previous conceptions by reconstructing parameters such as atmospheric composition, sea-surface temperature, rates and modes of ocean circulation, ocean state (oxygen levels, nutrient status, biological productivity), winds, seasonality, and temperatures from records dating from tens, hundreds, and thousands of millions of years in the past. These records, scientists say, are teaching us how Earth's past climate interacted with its ecosystems, geology and water in ways previously unimagined.

Who:
    Margaret Leinen, Assistant Director for Geosciences, NSF
    Walt Snyder, Division of Earth Sciences, NSF
    Rich Lane, Division of Earth Sciences, NSF
    Lynn Soreghan, University of Oklahoma
    Christopher Maples, Desert Research Institute
    Karl Flessa, University of Arizona
    William Hay, GEOMAR-Kiel and UC-Boulder


What: Workshop on "GeoSystems: Probing Earth's Deep-Time Climate and Linked Systems"

When: Thursday, September 9, 2004 � Saturday, September 11, 2004

Where: Marymount University-Ballston (Auditorium)
1000 N. Glebe Rd.
Arlington, VA 22230
(Metro Orange Line, Ballston Stop)

For a detailed workshop agenda and directions, please see: http://geosystems.ou.edu

For more information and to arrange for a pass to the workshop site, please call: Cheryl Dybas, NSF, 703-292-7734, [email protected]

Images available: http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/04/ma0426_images.htm

NSF is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering, with an annual budget of nearly $5.58 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 40,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes about 11,000 new funding awards. NSF also awards over $200 million in professional and service contracts yearly.

Receive official NSF news electronically through the e-mail delivery and notification system, Custom News Service. To subscribe, enter the NSF Home Page at: http://www.nsf.gov/home/cns/#new and fill in information under "new users."

Useful NSF Web Sites:
NSF Home Page: http://www.nsf.gov
News Highlights: http://www.nsf.gov/home/news.html
Newsroom: http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/media/start.htm
Science Statistics: http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/stats.htm
Awards Searches: http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a6/A6Start.htm




This article comes from Science Blog. Copyright � 2004
http://www.scienceblog.com/community