The warm mid-Pliocene, when on average global temperature was 2-3 degrees C warmer than at present, is within the range of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projections of global warming for the 21st century, and hence offers a good analog for future climate change. This work, conducted by a team of scientists from Rutgers University, will generate new geochemical proxy records (Mg/Ca, B/Ca, and Neodymium isotope composition) from deep sea sediment cores that will provide key constraints on spatial and temporal variations in the deep ocean hydrography in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Southern Oceans during the transition from the mid-Pliocene warm period to the onset of Northern Hemisphere glaciation (~2.5 to 3.5 million years before present). The new records will improve our understanding of the response of the deep ocean to the mid-Pliocene warmth and provide valuable insights into the ocean sensitivity to warmer/higher pCO2 conditions and during the subsequent transition to overall cooler climates in the Northern Hemisphere.
In addition to better understanding links between the oceans and climate in a past analog to modern conditions, broader impacts include education and training of a female post-doctoral fellow and research opportunities for undergraduate students. The results will be presented in seminars, at national professional meetings, and incorporated into teaching curricula at undergraduate and graduate levels. The datasets generated in this research will be made available through the NOAA-NCDC web site.
