Cornell College Events

Characterization of layer-bounding surfaces in a Great Basin stalagmite utilizing both petrographic and high resolution stable isotope analyses. One of the most hotly debated topics in paleoclimatology has been the ice age climate record of the Great Basin region of the western United States over the past ~500,000 years. A new stalagmite-based record of climate change in the Great Basin region constructed by Lachniet et al. (2014) seems to have solved this controversy, but it only extends back to 175,000 years ago. If more stalagmites could be found to extend the record back to 500,000 years ago, a more robust case could be made. The aim of our research is to help extend this record through the analysis of a stalagmite that grew discontinuously in Lehman Caves, Nevada, between ~650,000 – 243,000 years ago.