23M078 Unlocking secrets in Fossil wood - What growth rings can tell about tree species and paleoenvironments

While not as intensely studied as animal fossils, fossil wood actually contains much information about Earth’s past environments. Geologists and paleobotanists use the petrographic microscope to study the petrification process, the species of the fossilized tree, as well as temporal changes in paleoenvironments. The speaker will use the first part of the talk to explain the principle and operation of the petrographic microscope and show fascinating thin-section images of fossil woods. The second part of the talk will draw from examples in the Nina Park fossil wood collection to illustrate microscopic structures observed in the fossil wood and how scientists can determine if the tree was a deciduous or coniferous one as well as growth conditions from tree rings and structures.

Speaker: Prof Chan Lung Sang, Project Advisor, Nina Park
Prof. Chan Lung Sang, a Hong Kong geologist, is currently Visiting Professor in the Dept of Earth and Planetary Science of University of California at Berkeley, and Honorary Professor in the Dept of Earth Sciences of The University of Hong Kong. He was College Principal of HKUSPACE Community College and HKUSPACE-PLk Stanley Ho Community College and currently serves as advisor to HK Observatory, HK Science Museum, and Nina Park.