This is a past event.

Here is the link to see the recorded seminar of Dr. Hamilton.
Link: https://michigantech.zoom.us/rec/share/hwJhWvlOHhVu7sttMTzjA7g9PeIraORT9NHHlXWhvh7Qv4eTw8DmiePX3uaXM0cO.6kBM743NjxeCVxIp

Passcode: tp8&+j^5

Trinity Hamilton, PhD
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Plant and Microbial Biology 
College of Biological Sciences
University of Minnesota
St. Paul, MN

                                                    Pink Snow and the Geomicrobiology of Mid-latitude Glaciers

                Glaciers and snow are key components of the terrestrial landscape and regional climate in the Pacific Northwest, as well as the hydroelectric industry and municipal and agricultural water supplies to large population centers. However, recent global warming predictions suggest as many as 77 % of PNW glaciers will cease to exist in the coming 100 years. Here we examine snow microbe activity and composition on PNW supraglacial snow to better constrain the role of supraglacial ecosystems in local and global biogeochemical cycles and subglacial weathering. We have conducted integrative studies of geochemistry, microbial community composition, and primary productivity in supra- and peri-glacial systems at Mt. Adams (WA), Mt. Hood (OR), and North Sister (OR) in Cascade Range of the PNW. Our work has demonstrated: 1) snow algae communities drive primary productivity across a range of supra- and peri-glacial regions; 2) snow algae biomass contributes to subglacial weathering; 3) snow algae communities incorporate fixed nitrogen from anthropogenic sources; and 4) increasing dissolved inorganic carbon concentration correlates with increase algal activity. These results have implications for improving modern global climate models, understanding past snowball Earth events, and searching for evidence of life on Mars.