Antarctic Lecture: A Glacier’s Microbiome

7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Old Town Library
Large Meeting Room Combo

Event Details

Using microbes and cryoconite holes to learn about ecosystems. Cryoconite holes are mini-ecosystems on glaciers, with entire food webs existing in a pool the size of a paint bucket. The McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica are so cold and dry that cryoconite holes freeze over, and can remain isolated from the atmosphere for a decade. Pacifica Sommers will describe how these unique mini-ecosystems form, and how they provide a natural experiment that we can use to learn about larger ecosystems such as forests, oceans, and even our own bodies.
Event Type(s): Programs
Age Group(s): Adults
Presenter: Pacifica Sommers, Research Associate CU
Erin Kirchoefer
221-6740