Workshop: The Late Paleozoic Gondwanan Ice Age: Towards a More Refined Understanding of Timing, Duration, and Character

本次研讨会将重点讨论晚古生代冈瓦纳冰期，这是地球历史上最重要的“冰库”气候间隔之一。这个冰河时代被认为对地球的气候、海平面、沉积系统和地理学产生了深远的影响。然而，到目前为止，这段时间的整体时间，持续时间和特征及其地层记录仍然存在争议。部分问题是缺乏可用于约束观测的适当精确的地层框架。但是，至少在某些地区，冰川沉积物的记录并不严格，依赖于现在已知的非诊断标准，例如岩石记录中存在杂岩。近年来，许多科学家一直致力于提高对地球历史这一复杂时期的理解。其中包括岩石地层学家、沉积学家、生物地层学家和古生物学家以及沉积地球化学家。然而，迄今为止，所有这些研究人员都没有机会将不断增长的知识整合到一个整体框架中。这次研讨会将提供急需的场所。就更广泛的影响而言，这次研讨会将促进国际合作，拓宽美国科学家的视野，并为下一代科学家提供与该领域领导者互动的机会。成果将在会议记录中发表，并在理解全球气候变化方面具有社会意义。

This workshop will focus on the late Paleozoic Gondwanan Ice Age, which was one of the most significant intervals of "icehouse" climate in Phanerozoic Earth history. This ice age is hypothesized to have had a profound influence on Earth's climate, sea level, depositional systems, and biogeography. To date, however, the overall timing, duration, and character of this interval and its stratigraphic record remain controversial. Part of the problem has been a lack of suitably precise stratigraphic frameworks that can be used to constrain observations. But also, at least in certain areas, the documentation of glacial deposits has not been rigorous, relying on what are now known to be non-diagnostic criteria such as the presence of diamictites in the rock record. In recent years, a number of scientists have been working to improve understanding of this complex period of Earth history. These include lithostratigraphers, sedimentologists, biostratigraphers and paleontologists, and sedimentary geochemists. To date, however, there has been no opportunity for all of these researchers to integrate the growing body of knowledge into a holistic framework. This workshop will provide the much needed venue.In terms of broader impacts, this workshop will promote international collaboration, broaden the perspective of U.S. scientists, and provide an opportunity for the next generation of scientists to interact with leaders in the field. Outcomes will be published in a proceedings volume, and have societal relevance in understanding global climate change.