Blas Valero-Garces

and 11 more

Earth scientists and musicians have collaborated to create music to illustrate the changes in a high altitude (2612 m a.s.l) Pyrenean lake since deglaciation and to increase awareness about global changes in mountains environments. Based on the sediment sequence from Marboré Lake (42°41′44.27″N, 0° 2′24.07″E) we have selected lithological, compositional and pollen data to represent the main climate, environmental and limnological changes in the lake and the region during the last 15000 years. To transform the geological data into music, notes were assigned to compositional range intervals and the tempos were degned using sediment accumulation rates. The electronic version of the Marbore Symphony was created by computer software based on the raw data. Different melodies and instruments were assigned at each data set as they inform about lake bioproductivity (organic carbon, Br/Ti) vegetation dynamics in the valleys (pollen), sediment iniux (Si/Ti) and anthropogenic impact (Pb/Ti). Based on the electronic version, the music group O’Carolan (http://www.ocarolanfolk.com) composed an 8 minutes long symphony with an overture and six movements and using traditional instruments from different cultures. The symphony premiered in the Pyrenean town of Bielsa on December 14th, 2018. The Marboré music project has served to increase citizenship awareness about climate change in the Pyrenees and provided a new tool to better communicate past and future changes in the environments and the impacts in our society. Telling our earth science stories with music presents an opportunity to reach a wider audience, integrating art and science. The creation of this music composition was undertaken within the framework of the REPLIM project, an INTERREG- POCTEFA – project aimed to develop a network of climate change observatories on lakes and wetlands in the Pyrenees. You can download the Marboré Symphony at http://www.ipe.csic.es/proyecto-replim.