The Timing, Tempo and Drivers of Earth’s Climate

The conditions that sustain life on Earth are shaped by a complex interplay between our planet’s exosphere and its deep interior over geological time. Deep processes such as mantle convection, plate tectonics, and volcanic activity can significantly perturb climate, surface temperatures, atmospheric composition, and biogeochemical cycles. Conversely, surface processes like erosion, chemical weathering, and sediment deposition/burial influence the composition and evolution of deep Earth reservoirs. To grasp how the dynamic interactions between shallow and deep processes ultimately influence our planet’s habitability, it is essential to understand the timing, rates, and durations of these critical geological processes.

The second Geochronology GRS will emphasize the interconnections among Earth’s climate, surface and deep interior through time. We invite research from all spans of Earth history that explore different facets of the exosphere-deep interior connection using the latest advancements in geochronology. The GRS is led by early-career scientists for early-career scientists, including graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and scientists and teachers with comparable levels of experience.

The Geochronology GRS will take place August 16-17 2025, encompassing the weekend preceding the Geochronology Gordon Research Conference, in Sunday River, Maine. It will include both scientific sessions as well as a mentoring session highlighting different career paths and how to navigate obstacles commonly faced by early-career researchers. The GRS provides an opportunity for student and early-career scientists to share and exchange new ideas in a peer-focused environment without professional pressures, and to foster collaborative relationships with future colleagues and peers. GRS applicants are strongly encouraged to attend the accompanying Geochronology Gordon Research Conference (August 17-22 2025).