The history of climate research goes back thousands of years. Even ancient Greek philosophers and Renaissance scholars noticed a connection between human activity and climate. But are humans always the ones to blame? Why is there still so much debate about climate change, and what is climate anyway? How is it different from the weather? And how is the greenhouse effect related to temperatures on Earth and other planets?
At the lecture, we will delve deep into the inner parts of the Earth and visit Siberian permafrost zones, where semi-dormant living and organic matter locked under thick ice is ready to break free. We will try to reconstruct the past and look into the future to figure out what is happening on our planet and who will benefit or suffer from climate change.
Alexander Zherebker, PhD in Chemistry, is a senior research scientist at the Skoltech Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry. Over the past 3 years, he has been developing molecular methods of biogeochemistry for organic carbon evolution research. Prior to joining Skoltech, Alexander worked as a visiting researcher in several laboratories in the United States and Germany. He is a winner of the Malcolm Prize from the International Humic Substances Society, a winner of the Moscow Government Award for Young Scientists, and an author of over 50 papers.