Public Lecture Series in Earth Science: Global Climate Change
The James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy

Understanding Global Climate Change: Perspective from Earth Science

DR. LONNIE THOMPSON, Byrd Polar Research Center, The Ohio State
University

Place: Baker Hall, James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy
       Rice University

Time:  on 24 January at 7 p.m.





Lonnie G. Thompson is a Professor in the Department of Geological
Sciences and a Research Scientist at the Byrd Polar Research Center of
The Ohio State University.

One of Professor Thompson's most important research contributions has
been to propel the field of ice core paleoclimalology out of the polar
regions and into the highest tropical and subtropical ice fields of
Earth. To do this, he and his team developed solar-powered drilling
equipment that allows them to glean climate histories from ice fields
spread from the tropical South American Andes, to Kilimanjaro, to the
Puruogangri ice cap in the center of the Tibetan Plateau. These past
climate histories, published in more than 160 articles, have helped
advance our understanding of the nature of Earth's climate system.

The results of more than 20 years of research show that many of the
glaciers and ice caps atop mountains in Africa and South America will
disappear in the next 10 to 20 years, causing complete loss of the
climate records contained in the ice. These records are invaluable to
the scientific investigation of Earth's past climate history, as well
as to the understanding of Earth's future climate.

Professor Thompson was elected a fellow of the American Geophysical
Union in 2001, named 2001 Ohio State University Distinguished Scholar,
and was selected by Time Magazine and CNN as one of America's Best in
Science and Medicine with his research being highlighted in a portion
of CNN Presents America's Best in Science and Medicine on August 12th,
and in a special section of the August 20th, 2001 Time Magazine.