How ancient leaves could help us predict future snowfall

Published January 22, 2018 This content is archived.

The Buffalo News published a front-page feature on the work of UB Assistant Professor of Geology Elizabeth Thomas, who is using ancient leaf waxes to study the history of precipitation in the region. Thomas's research aims to learn more about the behavior of lake effect snow during a warm period thousands of years ago, with the goal of improving our understanding of how this type of snowfall may change in the years to come as the planet warms. By dating and analyzing the composition of leaf waxes, scientists can glean information on the percentage of precipitation that fell as rain, regular snow or lake effect snow during a given time period.

http://buffalonews.com/2018/01/19/ub-researchers-examine-leaf-waxes-for-hints-about-future-snowfall/