I watched a fascinating public lecture about Earth’s environment around 250 million years ago. Prof Kathleen C. Benison explained how rock salt carries evidence of conditions in this distant past.

Tiny spaces (inclusions) inside the salt crystals can contain water, algae, plant matter, and single-celled organisms. They are preserved in the salt in a way that makes me think of Jurassic Park’s insects in amber.

Thanks to this evidence, we know that conditions in parts of Pangea were extremely inhospitable.

You can watch a video of the lecture on the Geological Society of London’s YouTube channel. There’s lots to see on there. I can’t wait to watch another one!