Mathematics and Statistics Colloquium

Calvin University

Cole Persch
Hope College

October 23, 2025
3:05pm   •   North Hall 276

Tools of Climate Scientists

Our planet is a massive complex system that can be difficult to wrap our heads around. In this talk, I’m going to show you how a variety of tools are used to answer questions about the history of Earth. Specifically, how changes in ocean circulation around Antarctica may have contributed to past glacial periods. We find that Earth’s natural orbital cycles, the Milankovitch Cycles, could account for up to a 25% increase in carbon outgassing from the Southern Ocean into the atmosphere. This would explain a significant amount of the rise in carbon dioxide that has occurred multiple times over the past million years and is tied to the glacial cycle.

Dr. Cole Persch is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics & Statistics Instruction at Hope College. His research focus involves using a combination of observational records, simulations, and mathematical models to understand how our climate system has evolved in the past. He got his Ph.D. in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences from CU Boulder in 2025.