[Seminar] Lakes and wetlands tell an important story

This Friday, 6th February, 2015, Prof. Barbara Wohlfarth (a professor in Quaternary Geology from the Department of Geological Sciences, Stockholm University, Sweden) will present a talk titled “Lakes and wetlands tell an important story“. The talk will begin at 1.00 pm in Room 333. Please come along.

Abstract

Lakes and wetlands are important geological archives because they preserve a detailed sedimentary record of past climatic and environmental changes. By analysing different biological, physical and chemical proxies in these sediments it is possible to reconstruct how the lake/wetland and its catchment evolved and changed over time. These changes may be linked to shifts in climate, to human activities, or to a combination of both. As such lake and wetland sedimentary records can inform us about natural climate variability, about the way lakes/wetlands responded to dramatic changes in moisture availability in the past and how humans modified and impacted on these ecosystems.

Few natural lakes/wetlands with intact sediments remain in Thailand since many have been altered to provide fishing and agricultural resources. Within the frame of a joint research project between Stockholm and Chulalongkorn University we have investigated a number of lake/wetland sedimentary records in different parts of Thailand during the past seven years. These records show in detail how lakes/wetlands responded to changes in the strength of the Asian summer monsoon and inform us about the climatic and environmental history of the past 50,000 years.