Transcript Global Environmental Change: Biomineral Proxies of Ocean

CMI Project Review:
Project Name
Number
Report Period
Global Environmental Change:
Biomineral Proxies of Ocean
Chemistry and Climate
003/P
22 June 2001- 30 April 2004
Six-month Review – Global Environmental Change: Biomineral Proxies of
Ocean Chemistry and Climate, 003/P, 22 Jun 2001 - 30 Apr. 2004
Project Name
Cambridge PI, affiliation Harry Elderfield (Earth Sciences)
MIT PI, affiliation
Ed Boyle (EAPS)
• Brief Description of Project:
The oceans play a central role in modulating the carbon dioxide
content of the atmosphere. Indicators of the chemistry of past oceans
and the variation of global climate over Earth history are locked up in
the patterns of element and isotope partitioning into the biomineral
shells of foraminifera, corals and similar organisms. We propose to
determine why element partitioning at the mineral surface is correlated
with the global environment, rather than simply how it is correlated.
• Summary of Intended Outcomes:
Understanding the ocean carbon system and its future evolution is
crucial to the adaptation of society and industry to changing climate.
This research is aimed at documenting aspects of the past evolution
of the carbon system as a means for improving understanding of key
carbon system mechanisms that operate on a variety of time scales.
Six-month Review – Global Environmental Change: Biomineral Proxies of
Ocean Chemistry and Climate, 003/P, 22 Jun 2001 - 30 Apr. 2004
Progress In Past Six Months
• Important activities, collaborations:
Development of methodologies at CU and MIT to estimate oceanic
carbonate ion concentrations. CU focused on microfossil micromorphology and minor element partition coefficients; MIT specifically
focused on microfossil sulfate and magnesium concentrations.
• Milestones achieved:
Development of a mass spectrometric method for the simultaneous
precise analysis of S and Mg in microfossils. Start on microfossil
calibration database.
• Deliverables completed:
Presented talk at Ocean Sciences conference; papers in Science
and other journals; talks at international conferences; PhD graduate;
talk at CMI day of CU Science Week; research highlighted in
University Annual Report for 2002; laboratory set up for microfossil
micromorphology; conducted Tyndall/CMI conference on “Macroengineering options for climate change management and mitigation”
Six-month Review – Global Environmental Change: Biomineral Proxies of
Ocean Chemistry and Climate, 003/P, 22 Jun 2001 - 30 Apr. 2004
Plans For Next Six Months
• Expected activities, collaborations :
• Project is finished; wrap up will include further data interpretation
and preparation of manuscripts.
• Boyle will present talk “Paleo perspectives on carbonate ion and
pH” at a SCOR conference in Paris in May on “The role of the
ocean in a high-CO2 world”
• Expected milestones:
• Submission of further manuscripts
• Expected deliverables:
In addition to forthcoming manuscripts and abstracts, Elderfield
group has published papers in Science and other journals and
both group have given presentations at international
conferences; Elderfield group has set up laboratory for
microfossil micromorphology, and Boyle group has developed
method for simultaneous analysis of Mg, S, and Ca in
foraminifera.
Six-month Review – Global Environmental Change: Biomineral Proxies of
Ocean Chemistry and Climate, 003/P, 22 Jun 2001 - 30 Apr. 2004
Other Items
• Modifications to statement of work and/or funding:
none
• Expected financial profile:
all funding will be expended at end of current financial
statement
• Anything else:
work may continue under other umbrellas (e.g. Boyle
NSF proposal).
Six-month Review – Global Environmental Change: Biomineral Proxies of
Ocean Chemistry and Climate, 003/P, 22 Jun 2001 - 30 Apr. 2004
PR / Communications / Events
• Any previous press interest in your project? By who? What media?
The Tyndall/CMI conference on “Macro-engineering options for
climate change management and mitigation” was picked up for short
articles in the regular press (e.g. Boston Globe covered this) and
has recently been featured in an article in the “New Scientist”
magazine (27 March 2004).
• Upcoming events, major publications, noteworthy dates in the next
six months:
Tyndall Conference will arrange for a web site summarizing the
meeting.
• Do you need any help with your PR / communications / event
planning?
No further help required as project is finished. Tyndall/CMI
conference may be followed up by another meeting sponsored by
the Royal Society; perhaps CMI could provide publicity for that
meeting (one or two years in the future).
Six-month Review – Global Environmental Change: Biomineral Proxies of
Ocean Chemistry and Climate, 003/P, 22 Jun 2001 - 30 Apr. 2004
Challenges And/or Issues To Address
• Problem/Concern:
Our project was one of first CMI projects, focused on the rubric of environmental
understanding, and has strong “blue-skies” emphasis. Therefore PIs have
difficulty couching achievements within revised CMI strategy
• Plan for resolution:
Our proposed sponsorship of a follow-up conference to the Tyndall/CMI meeting
has been declined by CMI, so we will pursue other opportunities for conference
sponsorship.
• How CMI can help:
Publicity for the follow-up conference.
Six-month Review – Global Environmental Change: Biomineral Proxies of
Ocean Chemistry and Climate, 003/P, 22 Jun 2001 - 30 Apr. 2004