THURSDAY: March of the Penguins Or Walking on Thin Ice? And What Role Do Humans Play?

Global climate change is expected to be first apparent in the polar regions where the effects will be most pronounced. Is the observed thinning and shrinking of the Arctic’s floating sea ice cover simply a reflection of natural variability or a harbinger of things to come?

Mark Serreze, of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) and a professor at the University of Colorado, has analyzed the polar climate record to determine if human activities are affecting climate in remote and susceptible regions. He will present the polar climate record from the past century as part of the second-annual Rieveschl Geo Lecture. Serreze’s presentation, “The Arctic on the Fast Track of Change,” will take place at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23 in 300 Braunstein. The second talk, a joint colloquium between the Departments of Geology and Geography, titled “A Large-Scale View of the Arctic Climate System,” will take place at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24, in 201 Braunstein. Both talks are free from cost but full of value. The public is welcome.

The George Rieveschl Jr. Geo Lecture Series at the University of Cincinnati presents interdisciplinary lectures for the physical and life sciences on earth processes and their consequences for humanity. Rieveschl earned three degrees at the University of Cincinnati: A.B. (1937), M.S. (1939) and Ph.D. (1940). He was named to the International Science and Engineering Hall of Fame in 1995. Rieveschl is perhaps best known outside of UC for being the inventor of Benadryl, the first antihistamine. Within UC’s walls, however, he is known as a strong supporter of the sciences, especially geology.

Each year, the Rieveschl lecturer presents one general talk that is open to the public, then separate talks for each of the specialties. Last year, Robert Finkelman presented “Medical Geology: The Experience of a Long-Time Practitioner” at the Department of Environmentental Health, while “Minerals and Health” was presented for the Department of Geology.

Mark C. Serreze

Mark C. Serreze

This year’s speaker, Mark C. Serreze, is a professor in CIRES' National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). The mission of the NSIDC is “to make fundamental contributions to cryospheric science, and to excel in managing data and disseminating information in order to advance understanding of the Earth system.” A joint institute with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), CIRES provides a productive setting for collaborative research and teaching in the wide-ranging disciplines of the environmental sciences.

Upcoming geology events

Related Stories

2

‘Full Body Burden’ becomes a documentary

August 13, 2025

The book, “Full Body Burden: Growing Up in the Nuclear Shadow of Rocky Flats” by UC faculty member Kristen Iversen will hit the big screen in 2026, with a prescreening to take place in summer 2025.

Debug Query for this