Reconstructing climate conditions during the Last Interglacial using cave stalagmites

Synopsis

Understanding how climate and environmental conditions have changed in the past provides important context for predicting how Earth’s climate may respond in the future.

The Last Interglacial Period (129,000 – 116,000 years ago) was slightly warmer than the present. During this period a series of meltwater events are recorded, where freshwater from the Greenland Ice Sheet entered the North Atlantic Ocean, impacting the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Understanding these events is important because future ice-sheet melting could lead to similar freshwater input.

This project will use cave stalagmites from France to reconstruct changes in rainfall and temperature during the Last Interglacial. Stalagmites form slowly, layer by layer. As they grow, they preserve chemical signals that reflect rainfall, temperature and vegetation conditions outside the cave.

The new stalagmite records will be compared to marine records of the meltwater pulses, as well as Last Interglacial records from other regions of the world, to learn how the climate responded during these meltwater events.

Aims

This project aims to determine the timing and climate impacts of Last Interglacial meltwater events, beginning with the impact on rainfall and temperature in western Europe, as recorded in cave stalagmites.

Student benefits

- Direct scholarships are available for this project.

- Develop laboratory skills including sample preparation and geochemical analytical techniques such as mass spectrometry.

- Develop data analysis and interpretation skills, with a focus on time series analysis.

- Establish disciplinary expertise in palaeoclimatology, geochemistry, geochronology and speleothem science.

- Generate data about the past – pretty close to time travel!

Students should ideally have completed some Earth Science or Geography courses. Completion of GEOS3761 Environmental Change would provide a strong background in palaeoclimatology but is not essential.

Supervisor: Ellen Corrick