Imprints: Sifting through microfossils with Rajani Panchang

Imprints: Sifting through microfossils with Rajani Panchang

Author: Mongabay.com January 20, 2023 Duration: 34:04

Looking at sediment under a microscope is a window into past environments and climates. In a dot of sediment, you may find thousands of microfossils - tiny remains of bacteria, protists, fungi, animals, and plants.

Rajani Panchang, an oceanographer and micropaleontologist, uses microfossils from oceans, of tiny marine organisms, to interpret how the climate and environment may have been when they were alive. Such work gives us ideas about the chemistry and temperature of the ocean, ocean currents and wind patterns of the past.

Paleoclimate research eventually feeds into reports that give us the large picture of climate change and our means of recovery. It starts with studying sediments.

Guest: Rajani Panchang, oceanographer and micropalaentologist, Savitribai Phule Pune University

Host and producer: Sahana Ghosh

Co-producer and cover designer: Kartik Chandramouli

Audio editor: Tejas Dayanand Sagar

Copy editors: Sapna Verma and Priyanka Shankar

Subscribe to Everything Environment by Mongabay India on your podcast platform.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram 

Subscribe to our newsletter


From the team at Mongabay.com comes Everything Environment by Mongabay India, a podcast that digs into the complex and often overlooked stories shaping India's natural world. This isn't just about headlines; it's about connecting the dots between biodiversity, climate change, and the natural resources that underpin daily life across the subcontinent. Each episode is a deep dive, whether it's examining the real-world impacts of the country's clean energy transition, uncovering lessons from ancient paleoscience, or giving a voice to lesser-known species fighting for survival. The conversations move beyond abstract problems to focus on tangible solutions and the people on the front lines. By weaving science and news into compelling narrative, this podcast places environmental discussions exactly where they belong: central to our understanding of India's present and future. You'll hear clear analysis and on-the-ground reporting that makes intricate topics accessible, fostering a deeper appreciation for the interconnectedness of ecology, policy, and community. For anyone curious about the forces shaping our environment, this series offers essential listening.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 28

Everything Environment by Mongabay India
Podcast Episodes
GigaWhat: Creating rural jobs with renewables [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:07
Lack of energy access limits the rural economy. But reliable electricity creates an infrastructure for rural entrepreneurs and gives people a chance to work on their aspirations. In rural India, decentralised renewable e…
GigaWhat: Clean-washing by dams? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:09
Hydropower has been an old and reliable source of energy in India. Until a few years ago, India considered a hydropower project renewable only when the installed capacity was less than 25 megawatt (MW). But then, in 2019…
GigaWhat: Farms harvest solar energy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:19
What are the high hurdles for India to uplift its people and realise its potential on the world stage? Two of the most significant ones are securing food for its large population and providing enough energy to power home…
GigaWhat: Renewables go reckless [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:13
The loss of biodiversity, the sixth mass extinction, high chances that you would have heard these terms. It's clear what pushed us into this situation - overexploitation of natural resources, pollution, the way we farm,…
GigaWhat: Renewable energy, limited land [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:34
Let's visualise the sheer expanse of one of India's largest solar parks, the Pavagada Solar Park in Karnataka. An aerial view of the site shows a never-ending sea of glass panels and wires spread across 13,000 acres. Tha…
GigaWhat: Clean Waste [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:07
The world is looking towards the sun, wind, and other alternatives for energy, and so is India, as a way to tackle climate change and other environmental issues. The sight of solar and wind farms, rooftops lined with sol…
GigaWhat Trailer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:28
GigaWhat will explore some of the biggest questions, challenges, and opportunities in India's transition from fossil fuels to clean energy sources. As countries commit to cutting their carbon emissions to tackle climate…