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The Water Institute is pleased to announce that Dr. Lonnie Thompson will be the next speaker in the 2007-2008 Smallwood Distinguished Scholar Seminar Series. Dr. Thompson is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, won the National Medal of Science this year, has had articles written about him in journals ranging from Science and Rolling Stone, and was a science advisor for Al Gore's movie An Inconvenient Truth. November 1-2, 2007 Lonnie Thompson, Distinguished University Professor, Department of Geological Sciences, and Byrd Polar Research Center, Ohio State University <http://www-bprc.mps.ohio-state.edu/Icecore/GroupP.html#lonniethompson> Seminar Title: "Understanding Global Climate Change" Time: 3:00 pm Thursday November 1, 2007 Location: Room 282 Reitz Union Abstract Over the last 30 years ice core records have been systematically recovered from eleven high-elevation ice fields, ten of which are located in the low latitudes. Three lines of evidence for abrupt climate change both past and present are presented. First, annually and decadally averaged O_18 (temperature proxy) and net mass balance histories (precipitation proxy) for the last 400 years and 2000 years, respectively, demonstrate that the current warming at high elevations in the mid- to lower latitudes is unprecedented for at least the last two millennia. Second, the continuing retreat of most mid to low-latitude glaciers, many having persisted for thousands of years, signals a recent and abrupt change in the Earth's climate system. Finally, rooted, soft-bodied wetland plants, now exposed along the margins as the Quelccaya ice cap (Peru) retreats, have been radiocarbon dated and when coupled with other widespread proxy evidence, provides strong evidence for an abrupt mid-Holocene climate event that marked the transition from early Holocene warmer conditions in Peru to cooler, late Holocene conditions. This abrupt event, roughly 5200 years ago, was widespread and spatially coherent through much of the world and was coincident with structural changes in several civilizations. These three lines of evidence argue that the present warming and associated glacier retreat are unprecedented in some areas for at least 5200 years. The ongoing global scale, rapid retreat of mountain glaciers is not only contributing to global sea level rise, but threatening fresh water supplies in many of the world's most populous regions. The current and present danger posed by ongoing climate change and the human response will be discussed Faculty and students are also invited to meet with Dr. Thompson in small group meetings on Thursday morning. See itinerary below for times and locations. Dr. Thompson's Itinerary: 8:30-10:30 Meeting with interested faculty and students in Williamson Hall (hosted by Geological Sciences) 10:30-noon Meeting with interested faculty and students in 365 (hosted by South East Climate Consortium) Lunch in Arrendondo Room 1pm-3pm Meeting with FAC in 365 Weil Hall 3pm Seminar in 282 Reitz Union Please pass this information on to potentially interested students and colleagues! Thanks! Wendy Wendy Graham Carl S. Swisher Chair in Water Resources Director UF Water Institute PO Box 116601 University of Florida Gainesville, Florida 32611-6601 Phone 352-392-5893 x 2113 Email [log in to unmask] www.waterinstitute.ufl.edu