Media

An HKU exhibition to launch on Earth Day to showcase
the last 65 million years of Climate Change unfolding past lessons for foreseeing our future

17 Apr 2015

The Stephen Hui Geological Museum of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) will launch a new permanent exhibition on “Cenozoic Climate Change” on Earth Day (April 22, 2015). The Cenozoic Era is the most recent geological period which spans from about 65 million years ago to present. The Cenozoic is sometimes called the Age of Mammals because the extinction of dinosaurs at the beginning of the Cenozoic allowed mammals to greatly diversify and grow in size during this period.

A media briefing will be held on April 21, 2015 (Tuesday), before the Earth Day to introduce the new exhibition.  Climate change experts of the HKU Department of Earth Sciences will join the briefing to explain the research behind.

Paleoclimate proxies including ice cores, marine sediments, loess, tree rings and marine microorganisms will be displayed for the first time in Hong Kong to introduce scientific methods applied to read past global climate records and to reconstruct the last 65 million years of global Climate Change.

The results reveal two patterns of climate change during the past 65 million years: (1). a continuous long-term climate change from warm conditions with ice-free poles 65 million years ago (65 Ma) changing to cooler conditions with the present-day polar ice caps; and (2). short-term climate changes which are comprised of important short-term periodical and abrupt climate variations in the past. Through the study and analysis of such information, scientists hope to gain more understanding of how human activity might impact climate change in the future.

The exhibition is part of HKU’s Knowledge Exchange effort making recently conducted climate research at the Department of Earth Sciences accessible to the public.

Members of the media are cordially invited to cover the press briefing. Details as below:

Date: April 21, 2015 (next Tuesday, the day before the Earth Day)

Time: 11:00 am to 12:15 pm

Venue: Stephen Hui Geological Museum, G/F, James Lee Science Building, HKU (Map)

Speakers:
Dr. Petra Bach, Curator of the Stephen Hui Geological Museum

Dr. Liu Zhonghui, Department of Earth Sciences, HKU

Prof. Zong Yongqiang, Department of Earth Sciences, HKU

Media enquiries

HKU Communications & Public Affairs Office Ms Rhea Leung (Tel: 2857 8555 / 9022 7446/ Email: rhea.leung@hku.hk ) or the Stephen Hui Geological Museum Dr Haz Cheung  (Tel: 2241 5472/ Email: hmcc@hku.hk)