| Biography | |
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 Prof. Jiancheng（James） Zheng University of Ottawa, Canada |
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| Title: Ice core studies on climate and environment changes: my understanding and thoughts | |
| Abstract: Climate and environment changes are hot topics worldwide. In October of 2018, IPCC’s special report presents that “human activities are estimated to have caused approximately 1.0°C of global warming above pre-industrial levels, with a likely range of 0.8°C to 1.2°C. Global warming is likely to reach 1.5°C between 2030 and 2052 if it continues to increase at the current rate”. Strong support for this is that the observed global mean surface temperature (GMST) for the decade 2006 to 2015 was 0.87oC (likely between 0.75 and 0.99OC). As temperature increases, glacial ice will melt, sea level will increase, economy will be affected, diseases’ effects on human and ecosystems could become more frequent, et al. It is obvious that we are facing challenges of environment and climate changes. And we have to face the difficulty and address the issue. The question is: how and what should we do? This talk will base on my research results, on my understanding and my thought relevant to climate and environment changes: natural variations and/or anthropogenic pushing. Talk will focus on ice core studies which include ice core records of both natural variations (variations before human effects were significant) and anthropogenic impacts on the environment and climate. Brief introduction of ice core studies, such as why ice core studies, where to get ice cores and how to carry out ice core studies, will be given. Field trip photos and example archives retrieved from ice cores will be presented during this presentation. This talk also aims to opening an interactive discussion on topics of climate changes and environment changes, especially what should each of us do and how to do? Each and all participants’ involvement in discussion is welcome because it is everyone’s responsibility to address environmental problems. Only each of us carries out actual practice to reduce our environmental contamination/pollution, could we achieve our environmental protection. This presentation asks 45 minutes plus 10 minutes for questions if it is allowed but can be shortened. | |
| Biography: Jiancheng (James) Zheng is a research scientist (cold regions chemistry) with Geological Survey Canada (GSC), Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) based in Ottawa. He is also an adjunct professor with the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Ottawa. He completed his undergraduate program in chemistry in Wuhan University, China, his master program in geosciences with Ottawa University, Canada and his PhD program in Environmental Geochemistry in Heidelberg University, Germany. In his early research career, James worked on marine fouling organism corrosion for a Chinese oceanography institute located in Xiamen, China. James came to Canada to carry out his 2-year scholarship awarded by the Department of Education, China in 1983, working on marine CO2, at the Institute of Ocean Sciences (IOS), Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) in Victoria, BC, Canada. James was later invited to join the ice core research project by Dr. Shier Berman, director of Measurement Sciences at National Research Canada (NRC), Canada. James has been worked with GSC, NRCan since 1999. James is interested in climate changes and anthropogenic contaminants via studying snow/ice cores and environmental waters. His major research areas include archive reconstruction of inorganic trace metals and paleoclimate variations as well as monitoring of current climate trends with ice and snow in the Canadian High Arctic. James developed his GSC version of ultra clean protocol for snow/ice sampling, processing and sample storage/protection for studies of trace elements with ultra low concentrations. James is also interested in development of methodologies and quality control protocols for practical operation in laboratory and in the filed. He has recently set up a laboratory for tangential flow filtration systems for studying mobility and fate of trace elements in environment waters. James’ interest also extends to other contaminants, both inorganic and organic, contaminant source apportionment, the linkage of archives between ice cores and other records as well as ice core drilling in Canadian High Arctic ice caps. | |
