The LDEO Earth Science Colloquium presents:
Deglacial Ocean Circulation and Temperature - new evidence from the low latitudes
with Laura Robinson, Professor of Geochemistry at the University of Bristol who interests are to document and understand the processes that govern climate on time scales ranging from the modern day back through hundreds of thousands of years. To do this research, Dr. Robinson use geochemical techniques, with an emphasis on radioactive elements including uranium series isotopes and radiocarbon. These elements are particularly valuable as they have a wide range of decay rates and geochemical properties and can be analyzed in geologic materials such as corals, marine sediments and seawater.
Abstract: Deep in the oceans we find abundant fields of corals which live without light and yet still rely on the sun for energy. The trace metal and isotopic composition of these corals can reveal information on water temperature, circulation rates and the amount of carbon or nutrients in the water in the past. At the same time, these same techniques can help us to assess the vulnerability of deep marine ecosystems to changes in ocean conditions. This talk will bring together exploration of deep-sea habitats and coral geochemistry to examine the links between oceans and climate on short timescales with a focus on new data linking subsurface temperatures in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
