Climate impact on marine plankton dynamics during interglacials

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Birgit Schneider
• Subject Area: Palaeontology
• Term: from 2011 to 2014
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 164910728

The proposal is addressing three highly relevant topics in climate research, with the main focus on the common methodology of paleo proxy interpretation, complemented by climate model assessment and the simulation of climate-biogeochemial interactions, such as the development of oxygen minimum zones in the ocean. We propose to run transient simulations with a new coupled climate-carbon cycle model (KCMS - Kiel Climate Model System) over the present and last interglacial periods. The forcing applied will include changes in orbital configuration as well as variations in northern hemisphere ice-sheet extent. We plan to investigate the related climate impacts on plankton productivity and species dynamics that have shaped the environmental signal recorded by organisms, which in turn are used as paleo proxies from marine sediments. Our results will be highly relevant for the interpretation of past climate trends derived from paleo proxy reconstructions, as well as for the assessment of the long-term evolution of oxygen minimum zones in the ocean, which has implications for anticipated future changes in oceanic oxygen distributions. Finally, the model results will contribute to international efforts of climate model intercomparison, validation and assessment.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants