Library Town & Gown - Southland?s Early Climatology

Description

Much of Southern California today is desert, but was it always this way?

The answer to that is a definite “NO” as the fossil record indicates the area was once dotted with lakes and lush with plant life such as ferns.

Determining how we got from a moist climate to one comprised of shifting sands is a question best answered by the “paleoclimatologist,” which simply means a person who studies past climates.

The work of the paleoclimatologist as well as a look back into our climatic history will be the focus of “60,000 Years of Past Climate Change in Southern California,” a special program to be presented Tuesday, May 8, by the Fullerton Public Library as part of its popular “Town and Gown” speaker series.

Guest speaker for the program, which will begin at 7 p.m. in the Community Room of the Fullerton Main Library, will be Dr. Matthew Kirby, paleoclimatologist and professor of geological sciences at California State University, Fullerton.

Kirby’s research focuses specifically on the history of water in Southern California and the reasons for past changes in water availability.  He will highlight some of his findings from Southern California spanning present day to more than 60,000 years in the past.  He will also explain the basics of paleoclimatology and its value as a scientific endeavor, especially for the overpopulated, water-poor region of Southern California.

Kirby received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Hamilton College, his Master of Science degree from the University of Colorado, and his doctorate from Syracuse University.  Kirby, a native of Binghamton, New York, and his CSUF colleague, Dr. Brady Rhodes, are conducting a pilot study to hunt for geological signs in sediment preserved in Southern California's wetlands to determine the region's tsunami history.

The “Town and Gown” series is co-sponsored by California State University, Fullerton.

All lectures in the “Town and Gown” series are presented at 7 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month at the Fullerton Main Library, 353 W. Commonwealth Ave., adjacent to Fullerton City Hall.

Further information about the Kirby presentation or the “Town and Gown” series may be obtained by calling the Fullerton Main Library at (714) 738-6326.

Persons requiring special accommodations to attend the Kirby lecture are asked to notify the library staff prior to May 8.

The “Town and Gown” series is co-sponsored by California State University, Fullerton.