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Climate science has been a growing interest of mine throughout my life. When I was younger, I knew I loved the planet and the beauty that it presented. However, I also knew it was important to understand it in order to be able to preserve it. As I have gotten older, the climate issue and the state of the planet has started to become more and more prominent. My interests were sprouted from my youth and heightened from present day issues. This led me to pursue my undergraduate studies in Earth Science in order to obtain a better understanding about our planet’s various processes and the connections between them. My time at the University of California, has inspired me to look further into and study the climate in order to be able to predict the future of our planet.

The first class of my junior year was Paleoclimatology which allowed me to become both inspired and impressed. This class gave me a different perspective on the climate issue. I understood that in order to understand the future of the planet, it was more important to know its past. As a class, we visited the Sea Floor Drilling Laboratory on the scripps campus. When we were taken into the refrigerated archive rooms, I was amazed by the hundreds of samples lying from the floor to the ceiling. It was a collaboration brought about from different parts of the world, working together to understand how the climate has changed and fluctuated in the past. Even as the quarter went by, it was incredible to see how much detail scientists were able to find through chemical proxies and how far back in time they were able to date. Seeing the data both preserved physically and explained on paper encouraged me to continue studying Paleoclimatology.

My undergraduate academics and the knowledge I have obtained has further encouraged me to pursue a Master’s degree through the BS/MS continuous program here at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. By further enhancing my knowledge of paleoclimatology I hope to find more moments in history such as the Paleocene Eocene Boundary through data collected from sedimentary cores. Specifically, I would like to compare sedimentary cores of modern day foraminifera to those of the PETM. The PETM itself has become an important analogy for the overall warming we have experienced today. The rapid increase in carbon dioxide caused major changes on our planet. The fossil fuels emitted into the atmosphere have the same effects that they had 55 Mya during that time. By analyzing these two layers in the sedimentary cores, we would be able to understand both the temperature and overall environmental conditions in both scenarios. Through this research, I hope to be able to find their similarities and differences in order to be able to make better predictions for the planet’s future. (be specific here)

From the creation of the Keeling curve to research on ice cores, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography has become one of the primary centers for climate research (put yourself here). Most importantly, because of the Deep Sea Drilling Laboratory in addition to the plentiful data available, Scripps would be the best place to advance knowledge on the PETM and modern day climate change. With the guidance of professors such as Dr. Teranes and Dr. Severinghaus both of whom are making incredible advancements in the subject of paleoclimatology, it would be encouraging and inspiring to complete my own research. By being in the right place with like minded people, advancements in paleoclimatology can be made to better understand our planet’s most impactful processes.

(By researching about today’s climate and comparing it to the PETM, people will be able to better understand what the planet’s conditions will look like in the next five, ten, or even hundreds of years. Climate change has become an issue that requires action and knowledge. I hope to be able to provide insight for other scientists and others in making sure our planet is able to be preserved for the future. )