upcoming seminars

Discussions of a climate crisis and a modern day mass extinction (dubbed the “sixth mass extinction”) are increasingly dominating the news and has even became one of the key issues in recent elections. In order to understand the importance of a modern day mass extinction, however, it needs to be put into a geological perspective. This means that for non-specialists many questions remain: What exactly is a mass extinction? If we are witnessing a sixth mass extinction, what happened during the other five mass extinctions? What role did climate change have? What can we learn from the geological record to better inform us about a projected “sixth mass extinction”? So, to better understand mass extinctions, this seminar series investigates how Earth Scientists reconstruct past ecological changes and climates, and demonstrates, using selected case studies, what drives climate change and how ecosystems respond to these forcing factors.

This semester, the “mass extinctions & climate change” public lecture series presents talks by distinguished academics whose work aims to shape our understanding of mass extinction events and lessons for preserving our planet’s current biodiversity crisis. Our guest speakers have engaged in cutting-edge research that has formed our current understanding, provided policy advice to regulatory bodies, and encouraged public involvement in this critical debate.

Given the uncertainty associated with coronavirus pandemic, the lectures will be delivered in digital form and the speakers may be changed during the lecture series. To get the latest updates and details to access the lectures, please please follow the link