Britain's What's On Event Guide
The Garvellach Islands, Scotland: a rare record of Snowball Earth
The Geological Society is pleased to be working with our Early Career Network for this September Public Lecture, which will be presented by the Early Career Geologist of 2025.
At the beginning of the Cryogenian Period, around 717 million years ago, ice caps advanced abruptly to cover the entire planet. Global ice cover is thought to have been attained relatively quickly, over thousands of years, because of the albedo effect – that is, the more ice there is, the more sunlight is reflected back into space, and vice versa. After reaching the equator, ice sheets persisted there for up to 58 million years. Understanding how our planet could have plunged into such extreme cold is still the subject of intense debate, but there is a problem. Sedimentary records of the moment when ice first reached low latitudes are absent everywhere on Earth, or so we once thought.
17:30–18:00: Guests arrive for the Public Lecture
18:00–19:00: Talk takes place (including Q&A)
19:00–20:00: Drinks reception
20:00: Event ends
At the beginning of the Cryogenian Period, around 717 million years ago, ice caps advanced abruptly to cover the entire planet. Global ice cover is thought to have been attained relatively quickly, over thousands of years, because of the albedo effect – that is, the more ice there is, the more sunlight is reflected back into space, and vice versa. After reaching the equator, ice sheets persisted there for up to 58 million years. Understanding how our planet could have plunged into such extreme cold is still the subject of intense debate, but there is a problem. Sedimentary records of the moment when ice first reached low latitudes are absent everywhere on Earth, or so we once thought.
17:30–18:00: Guests arrive for the Public Lecture
18:00–19:00: Talk takes place (including Q&A)
19:00–20:00: Drinks reception
20:00: Event ends
Tuesday 9 September
The Geological Society of London, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BG
This Public Lecture will take place on Tuesday 9 September at 18:00 (GMT).This is a hybrid event, which can be attended in person at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, or online via Zoom.
Spread the word