WHAT: University of Nebraska at Kearney Science Café
HOSTED BY: Sigma Xi The Scientific Research Society
TITLE: “Geology and Paleoecology of the Kearney Area during the Last Glacial Maximum: Our Ice Age Landscape 23,000 Years Ago”
TOPIC: During the last glacial maximum, the Kearney area looked very different than today. The familiar grassland prairies and riparian stands of cottonwood and other deciduous trees were not present. Instead, our landscape was mantled by a spruce forest with interspersed wetlands. We looked more like northern Canada than the south-central Nebraska of today. In this presentation, Dillon will share the results of his investigations into the geology and paleoecology of the full-glacial landscape. He will present the plant macrofossil, pollen and geologic data that his group is using to reconstruct the Kearney landscape some 23,000 years ago.
PRESENTER: Jeremy S. Dillon, professor geography, came to UNK in 1992 after earning his Ph.D. in geography and geology at the University of Kansas. His published research has been varied, including geoarchaeology in the Missouri River valley, glacial geology in northeastern Nebraska and the Quaternary geology and soil-landscape relationships in south-central Nebraska. Dillon has also published surficial geologic maps of quadrangles across the state through the U.S. Geological Survey.
TIME: 5:30 p.m.
DATE: Monday, Oct. 1
PLACE: The Loft, Cunningham’s Journal, 15 W. 23rd St., Kearney
CONTACT: Allen A. Thomas, assistant professor of chemistry, 308.865.8452, thomasaa@unk.edu
