Climate Change in Deep Time

By Teresa Peachey, Adjunct Professor of Meteorology

Since I teach introductory meteorology, climate change is already part of the curriculum. However, I was thrilled to weave climate change connections throughout the course as part of the Smithsonian Fellowship. The field trip to the Deep Time exhibit at the Museum of Natural History would immerse the students in the story of the evolution of life and the effect of climate changes on evolution.

When fall semester 2020 began and we no longer could visit the museum in person, I wondered how I could possibly convey to my students the feeling of a museum visit.  Well, an in-person experience cannot be duplicated, but one can share the richness of the Smithsonian holdings and the many ways one can interact with the Smithsonian’s resources, such as through the Smithsonian Learning Lab.

In one of our weekly meetings the fellows were introduced to Deep Time curator Scott Wing’s field research on the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), an extinction event 55 million years ago.  The trigger was extreme release of carbon dioxide that parallels our current warming.

Prior to our virtual visit my students studied pictures of fossils that Dr. Wing uncovered in Wyoming and investigated this relatively short (100,000 years) period in earth’s history.

During our virtual visit our class noted extinction events (and how climate change contributed to each).  Additionally, we focused on how earth’s landscapes have transformed over millions of years, such as in the Polar forests and Rainforest displays. Many students were surprised that now ice-covered areas once contained lush forests, and that some places on earth would have been too hot to support human life.

Finally, I asked students what museum they would visit first when they reopened, and who they would take with them.  Some chose the Museum of Natural History, and others chose a different museum they had visited previously.  Most students said they would attend with a friend, significant other, or family member.  One student said she would attend alone as she wishes to spend 4-5 hours looking all the art she has missed!

Despite the challenges of this semester, the students and I found our Smithsonian experiences worthwhile.  I plan to continue with virtual visits and greatly look forward to an in-person class visit!