Description
This presentation is for those who struggle with the concept of geologic time. Even career geologists have difficulty grasping the changes that can occur over the course of a million years. Kirt Kempter condenses the last three geologic eras (Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic) into a single calendar year, such that every second is the equivalent of approximately 17 years. Kempter focuses on the evolution of life and land in New Mexico, including ancient landscapes far different from the rugged high desert environment we know today.
Kirt Kempter is a Fulbright Fellow and PhD graduate from the University of Texas at Austin. He has spent most of his career as a field geologist conducting research in Costa Rica, Mexico, and North America. Kempter has authored numerous geologic maps in his home state of New Mexico and has led educational tours for Smithsonian Journeys and National Geographic since 1993, spanning much of the globe, including all seven continents.