What does the ice core record tell us about our future climate?

Ice cores contain air bubbles that preserve ancient atmosphere, including the actual CO2 concentrations and a multitude of other gases. From these records we know that current CO2 concentrations are rising because of human activity, not some natural process. We also see strong evidence that past climate change involved large abrupt shifts in rainfall patterns. These records provide a warning that large-scale regional drought may be the most damaging impact of future climate change. A brief mention will be made of common misconceptions about climate change.

About our speaker:
Dr. Severinghaus is Professor of Geosciences at the Scripps Institution of
Oceanography, which is affiliated with the University of California, San Diego. He received his PhD from Columbia University’s Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory in 1995, in isotope geochemistry. He also received a master’s degree in geological sciences from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College. He is an isotope geochemist working on gases trapped in ice cores, to reconstruct past variations in atmospheric composition and climate. His research often takes him to Antarctica and Greenland, and he is a member of the International Partnerships for Ice Core Sciences (IPICS) Steering Committee, and is co-chair of the “Oldest Ice” project that aims to extend the ice core record of atmospheric carbon dioxide and
climate back to 1.5 million years ago. Dr. Severinghaus is the author of 105 refereed publications, and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences. He was the 2011 Claire C. Patterson Medalist for environmental geochemistry, and is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union. He lives in Solana Beach, CA, with his wife and 2 children.

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The monthly lecture series sponsored by SD Skeptic Society features a presentation on a scientific or skeptical topic.

The suggested donation for lecture attendance is $5. Your tax-deductible donations help support the San Diego Skeptic Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to critical and scientific thinking. If you're a frequent attendee, see the welcome desk for joining the membership.

About SD Skeptics:The San Diego Skeptic Society (formerly SDARI) is a community resource that hosts lectures on various topics (science, history, etc) and sponsors prizes in the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair every spring.

Lectures start promptly at 7pm.

Location: Joyce Beers Community Center is located at 3950 Vermont Street. There is free parking available in the underground lot across the street (behind and under Ralphs / Trader Joes). Parking in the above ground lot is limited to 2 hours and cars have been ticketed / towed for infractions.