Spatial Variations of the Phaseshift between Ocean Surface Warming, Evaporation and Changes oft Continental Ice Volume at Terminations I and II (P.O.E.T)

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Anton Eisenhauer
• Subject Area: Palaeontology
• Term: from 2007 to 2010
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 42247053

The proposed study will examine the timing and phasing of the warming of the ocean surface during the beginning of interglacial Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 1 and 5. The primary goal is to verify the hypothesis whether the tropical ocean or the Northern North Atlantic is pacing climate change at the glacial/interglacial transitions. The change in sea-surface temperature (SST) in relation to sea-surface salinity (SSS) and global ice volume change will be deciphered by using a hitherto unique approach, namely the measurement of combined 44/40Ca, Mg/Ca and 18O in the same planktonic foraminiferal species in comparison to alkenone-based temperatures. The high-resolution multi-proxy data series will be gathered from tropical to high northern latitude ocean areas in the Atlantic Ocean, roughly following the pathway of ocean heat and moisture via the Gulf Stream system, and hence, covering areas with different evaporation/precipitation ratios. We will reconstruct these oceanic parameters for the surface ocean by using shallow-dwelling and by using deep-dwellers foraminifers for the subsurface ocean.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 1266: Integrated Analysis of Interglacial Climate Dynamics (INTERDYNAMIC)
• Participating Persons: Dr. Thomas Blanz; Professor Dr. Dirk Nürnberg