Foraminifera, fossilized animals about the size of a grain of sand, are proving useful to paleontologists and paleoclimatologists for discovering patterns of prehistoric climate changes. These patterns can potentially help scientists to understand how and why drastic climate change happens, which may give them a window into the future.
By drilling deep into the ocean floor, researchers pull up core samples with millions of layers of sediment, trapped gasses, and fossils, such as the aforementioned foraminifera. Spending hours digging through the samples and by categorizing different types of specimens that are pulled from the ocean depths, the researchers are able to glean quite a bit of information about the prehistoric environment from which they came.
Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Miriam Katz has been engaged in this type of research for over two decades. Through her studies, she has been able to piece together data about what exactly happens to the oceans and environments during extreme climate changes, and theorize why it happens.
"The boundary between the late Eocene to the early Oligocene is a striking example of rapid climate change that we can look to in Earth's past," Katz said. "Information from this period can provide us with important information on how rapid changes in temperature can significantly impact ice volume, sea level, and the evolution of life on Earth."
By understanding why climate changes occurred in the past, scientists like Miriam Katz are hopeful that any future climate changes can be better understood.
For more information on Professor Katz’s research, visit Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s detailed account.
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