CARBONDALE – Southern Illinois University Carbondale is set to welcome a distinguished Canadian researcher, Francine McCarthy, who will discuss the significant human impact on Earth’s geological history.
McCarthy, a professor and graduate program director of earth sciences at Brock University, will deliver a lecture titled “Finding the Golden Spike and the Onset of the Anthropocene” on Monday, Oct. 14, at 4 p.m. in Guyon Auditorium at Morris Library.
The lecture will delve into McCarthy's extensive research on sediment layers extracted from Crawford Lake in Ontario, Canada.
These sediment layers serve as a vital historical record, documenting environmental changes and atmospheric pollution linked to human activity, including industrial expansion and nuclear testing during the Cold War.
McCarthy notes that each sediment layer is distinct and can be analyzed much like tree rings, allowing researchers to reconstruct specific environmental conditions from years such as 1945, 1950, and 1955.
McCarthy is recognized as a leading figure in identifying the Anthropocene epoch, a term describing the current geological age characterized by significant human impact on the Earth’s geology and ecosystems, which began around the 1950s.
Her interdisciplinary research spans various fields, collaborating with geologists, biologists, and archeologists to explore the nuances of how humans have transformed the planet.
The event is free and open to the public, with a reception preceding the lecture at 3 p.m.
This presentation is sponsored by the Mid-Mississippi Hub of the Mississippi River Open School, Sigma Xi, and the School of Earth Systems and Sustainability at SIU.
Join us on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, for this enlightening discussion on our planet's future.
