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Information from Singida

A brief press release, below, is available to familiarize you with the research team's objectives and plans.

Pre-departure information
Microsoft Word format

 

Looking for Clues to Climate Change
Daily Field Reports, Summer 2000

 

An international team of researchers, led by scientists from Southern Methodist University, has completed their month-long research expedition to Tanzania, looking for fossil evidence that may help improve the accuracy of climate forecasting.

Daily transmissions from July 14th through August 2nd discussed the team's work in the field, plus camp life and wildlife seen nearby. These reports will remain available on this site and, as the team continues to study the fossils collected, they will post updated information on this site.

"One thing to note is that we are all still amazed by the technology that allows us to communicate with the "outside world" from a place where a satellite is the only means of connection. ... We are very grateful for the ability to do this and would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the Arthur L. Ruff Family of Dallas for their generosity in supporting this effort."

SMU/Tanzania Research Team
Site Report 8

Field Reports

See July 31 news article from Dallas Morning News.
Story and contents copyright The Dallas Morning News.

Final field report
Returning home...		 Report 14
Satellite trouble!		 Report 7
Down to work
  Report 13
... Ecstatic at our luck!		 Report 6
Arrival in Mahenge
  Report 12
... Splitting rocks...		 Report 5
Legho Hotel, Singida
Report 18
Answers to the Puhinui students		 Report 11
... More than 100 fossils ...		 Report 4
Kijambo from Dodoma
Report 17
Preparing for the trip home		 Report 10
Visitors in camp		 Report 3
Visiting Dar es Salaam
Report 16
Return to Dar es Salaam		 Report 9
A productive day!		 Report 2
Preparing for Singida
Report 15
Friends in New Zealand		 Report 8
Life in camp		 Report 1
Arrival in Dar es Salaam

.

The team, funded in part by a National Science Foundation grant to SMU paleobotanist Dr. Bonnie F. Jacobs, will be sending frequent updates from their field camp near Singida, Tanzania. Those updates, including site pictures and notes from the scientists, will be posted here. Satellite transmissions from the site in Singida, as well as computer and digital camera equipment for the expedition, were funded by a generous grant from the Arthur L. Ruff Family of Dallas.

The research will look at fossilized evidence of life in and around ancient crater lakes formed after volcanic eruption of rock material from as much as 200 km beneath the Earth's surface. These rocks, called kimberlites, are best known as a possible source of diamonds. But the treasure this international team will seek near Singida, Tanzania, are fossil samples of plants, fish, and frog to provide one of the first glimpses of life as it was 46 million years ago, the Middle Eocene, in sub-equatorial Africa.

Fossil plants in particular will provide information about ancient climate and can help improve climate simulation experiments used for predicting future climate conditions.

 

 

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© 2000 by the Environmental Science Program at Southern Methodist University.