For Immediate Release Contact: Field Museum PR Department (312) 665-7100, media@fieldmuseum.org Exhibition Walk Through Water June 17 - September 20, 2009 The Field Museum’s summer exhibition, Water addresses undeniable issues facing societies and ecosystems around the globe: from this resources quality to its quantity. Introduction Water concerns all people.  It shapes our planet and nearly every aspect of our lives.  Yet, less than three percent of the Earth’s water supply is potable – and much of that is found in ice caps, sea ice, glaciers, or deep underground.  The tiny fraction of water readily available for human use is not evenly distributed, creating a strain for this limited, vital resource all over the globe. In the Water introduction, visitors are asked to consider their everyday relationship with water as they enter through a fog wall on which the word “water” appears in several languages.  In the accompanying art instillation, a single drop of water falls into a lighted pool, emphasizing the beauty and universality, as well as the scarcity and fragility, of water. Life in Water All life on Earth needs water to survive, but the amount available from place to place varies, as does its quality.  Here, visitors are introduced to some incredible adaptations that plants and animals have developed to cope with water scarcity or abundance, as well as extreme temperatures, and living in fresh or salt water.  Human life is also emphasized, with an interactive display on our own body-water content and daily water needs. Blue Planet There is no question that water is a remarkable substance that shaped the face of our planet. This section focuses on the unique physical and chemical properties of the water molecule – H2O – and its role as a climate driver as well as a landscape architect. On display is Science on a Sphere: a 68-inch diameter globe that illustrates how the Earth’s water supply is distributed, cycled, and used.  Visitors then proceed through a towering reconstruction of a water-carved canyon, giving them an appreciation of water’s ability to sculpt our surroundings.  Geological specimens are seen here, including 3.8-billion-year-old Isua schist – a metamorphic rock that has been transformed from a volcanic or sedimentary rock due to great heat and/or pressure, as well as fragments of the Murichison meteorite, which landed in Australia in 1969 and is about 12 percent water by weight.  These specimens present a fascinating story of water’s origin and age.  Visitors can also experience the three physical states of water (ice, liquid, and vapor) in this space. Continue >>