Preview
Description
"Emily" is a planktic protoctist; this photosynthesizing alga spends time freely floating in the upper layers of the ocean, gathering solar energy. Though only a half a thousandth of an inch in diameter, Emiliania huxleyi plays an expanding role in Earth’s climate through both coccolith formation and gas emission.
A major geological force, proliferating populations (“blooms”) of this alga extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to form calcium carbonate shells that ultimately settle to carpet the sea floor, covering areas larger than all the continents.
In "bloom," Emily's gas emissions are equally potent. As their sulfur-containing gas wafts into the atmosphere, solar radiation transforms it to sulfuric acid. The droplets of acid serve as nucleation sites for water condensation and the formation of ocean cloud cover.
Date Created
1997
Holding Institution
University of Montana--Missoula. Environmental Studies Program
Rights Statement
Rights Holder
© 1997 Stiftung Drittes Millennium
Item Type
Exhibit
Digital File Format
image/jpeg
Media Type
Text; Image
Digital Image Number
71_wtt_file04_60-79.jpg
Recommended Citation
Liebes, Sid; Mittelstadt, Laurie; Waugh, Barbara; and Brynes, Lois, "Panel 71: Emiliania Huxleyi: Belle Of The Ball" (1997). A Walk Through Time - From Stardust To Us. 71.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/awalkthroughtime/71