About JOIDES Resolution:

The JOIDES Resolution (JR) is a research ship that drills into the ocean floor to collect and study cores of sediment. Scientists use data from the JR to better understand our Earth throughout its past, present, and future. Data from ocean drilling has helped substantiate pivotal discoveries from Earth’s history, such as plate tectonics or the extinction of the dinosaurs.

The JR is operated by the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation.

About Lindy Newman:

Lindy Newman has been an Educator with COSI on Wheels for four years, which means she has brought engaging science content to over 100,000 students across the Midwest and beyond. Her background is in Environmental Science, so when the call was put out for educators to sail on the JR, she couldn’t wait to apply. Lindy was actually selected for this opportunity in part because of her experience with COSI’s Interactive Videoconferencing!

Lindy, along with two other educators from New Zealand and China, will be documenting the scientific research happening on board the JR. You can follow along on social media, and if you are an educator, scroll to the bottom for educational resources.

About the Expedition:

There was a time, millions of years ago, when the Earth was much warmer than it is today. About 56 million years ago, there was a massive release of carbon into the atmosphere that triggered a warm spike in the Earth’s climate, bringing global temperatures up by as much as 14°F. This led to changes in the ocean’s ability to support life, as well as its chemistry and currents.

To better understand what happened 66-23 million years ago, in the time period called the Paleogene, the JOIDES Resolution is headed to the South Pacific Ocean in search of seafloor cores. By bringing up sediment and rock from the Paleogene, scientists can reconstruct this pivotal climate event from our past.

What will the expedition uncover to help us in our understanding of climate change impacts and scenarios? What else might we learn about the Pacific Ocean’s past?

Expedition Name: South Pacific Paleogene Climate
Dates: January 3, 2020-March 4, 2020
Ports: Lautoka, Fiji to Papeete, Tahiti
Co-chief Scientists: Deborah Thomas and Ursula Röhl
Staff Scientist: Laurel Childress

More about the expedition: http://iodp.tamu.edu/scienceops/expeditions/south_pacific_paleogene_climate.html

For the Classroom: