Analyzing Sediment Cores

Part F: Data Synthesis: Presenting Your Results to the Science Party.

Congratulations, climate detectives! You have almost cracked the case. Now it's time to present your case file to your peers (aka, the science party). Each person on your team should take on the role of one of the scientists, and will present your findings to the science party.

Challenge requirements

1. Your group will prepare a summary of your findings using any media you deem appropriate. Your presentation should include results from:

• The Chief Scientist: Summarize the group's findings. What does the evidence reveal about the Earth's climate at the time these sediments were deposited in the Gulf of Alaska? How does it compare to the global climate record (evidenced from the delta ¹⁸O record)?
• The Sedimentologist: What clues did you find in the core?
• The Paleomagnetist: What does the Earth's magnetic field reveal about the age of the sediments?
• The Paleontologist: What do the microfossils reveal about the age, and environmental conditions during the time of sediment deposition?
• Engineer: How were the cores extracted? Present a model of the coring device.

2. Be sure to document each piece of evidence you use to summarize your research findings. Another way of saying this is: How do we (scientists) know what we know about climate change in the past?

3. Each team member must hand in an individual typed report (3 to 4 pages) with figures and/or drawings. Your report should contain:

• An overview of the Challenge
• Description of your contribution to the project
• Detailed answer to the challenge question that required your special expertise with methodology, data, analysis and diagrams.
• A summary of their group's findings.

Note: The chief scientists report should contain these elements, but focus on the integration of the findings of all the experts and how this information is used to address the challenge questions.

Final research symposium

The chief scientist of each group will give a 10-minute presentation (no more than 10 PPT slides) that compiles the data and results of the group. The final report should contain the following elements:

1. Physical model of a coring device

2. A map showing location of (a) the drill hole from which the sediment core was retrieved and, (b) key geologic features and structures present, and any other information you feel is pertinent.

3. A summary of your group's findings (answers to all the challenge questions).

4. Concluding remarks

5. Acknowledgements/references