No two places on Earth have the same geological history recorded in the rocks now exposed at the surface. And, the more geology a geoscientist learns, the better the individual is to understand the Earth Systems processes that operated in the past and are relevant models for the future.
Professor Gastaldo is a paleontologist and sedimentologist whose focus is on terrestrial ecosystems ranging from: the earliest colonization of land by plants in the Silurian and Devonian; through the Carboniferous, during which time our largest coal reserves accumulated under glacial and interglacial conditions akin to today; to the effects of Mass Extinction on ecosystems at the Permian—Triassic Boundary; and with the processes responsible for preservation of fossil assemblages from the earliest stratigraphic records into the Neogene using actualistic studies in modern environments.
Understanding Deep Time, critical events in Earth’s history is paramount to future policy developed by society, at large. Transfer of this knowledge, and the models that explain what happened in the past and how they can be applied to the future, is essential for an educated public’s decisions on policy. Professor Gastaldo incorporated such concepts not only in the college courses he taught, but also in the educational materials he developed at the national and international level.
You are invited to explore his teaching, research, and outreach worlds using the links above, which will take you places you may never have experienced before. Join in.
Department of Geology 5807 Mayflower Hill Drive Waterville, ME 04901 e-mail: [email protected] phone: (01) 207 859 5800