The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA), Hasanuddin University (UNHAS), held a
guest lecture on Paleoclimatology using stalagmites from Bantimurung Caves. This guest lecture was
delivered by Dr. Alena K. Kimbrough, paleoclimatologist at the School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life
Sciences (SEALS), University of Wollongong, Australia, on Tuesday, October 3rd, 2023.
Dr. Alena explained how the atmospheric conditions above South Sulawesi are very complex, one of
which is influenced by the Asian monsoon, which contributes to around 80% of the rainfall in South
Sulawesi. To prepare for the future climate, it is essential to know how these Asian monsoons have
behaved in the past. One way to find out about this is to use stalagmites in caves, which is a proxy for
knowing the conditions of climate variables in the past. Dr. Alena K. Kimbrough uncovered variations
in rainfall up to 310,000 years ago, which were stored in Stalagmites in Bantimurung Cave, South
Sulawesi, by extracting information on Oxygen Isotopes
