Impact of ocean gateways on climate, ocean circulation and chemistry, and the distribution of biota in model simulations

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Andreas Schmittner
• Subject Area: Palaeontology
• Term: from 2001 to 2006
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5468851

This project will investigate the Neogene closure of zonal tropical/subtropical (Isthmus of Panama and Tethys Gateways) and opening of subpolar meridional (Denmark Strait) gateways with numerical models. For the first time, the historical sequence of changes in gateway configuration will be considered. Objectives are (1) to quantify the impact of different gateway configurations on the oceanic thermohaline circulation, global climate, regional sedimentation processes, dispersal of marine organisms and biogeochemical budgets of carbon and silica, and (2) to uncover and analyze climatically relevant synergies, linked to the historical sequence of changes in gateway configuration. The modeling strategy will be independent of paleoceanographic input data and, therefore, allows validation of the model results using reconstructions. Moreover the results from the high-resolution ocean-circulation model will help to optimize the selection of future sampling sites in other projects.

• DFG Programme: Research Units
• Subproject of: FOR 451: Impact of Gateways on Ocean Circulation, Climate, and Evolution
• Participating Person: Professor Dr. Rolf H. Käse