The PI proposes to study the history of the Asian monsoon by looking at geologic parameters which are sensitive to the oceanographic effects of the monsoon such as: regional gradients in the thermocline, sea-surface temperature, and upwelling intensity. Foraminifera from sediment traps in the Arabian Sea will be used to monitor the isotopic and faunal response of the foraminifera to the monsoon-induced temperature changes. The isotopic and faunal signal in the sediment trap results will be used to trace the geologic history of the monsoon in sedimentary cores. The PIs will concentrate on geologic periods thought to represent extremes in monsoon seasonality in order to monitor monsoonal history on glacial-interglacial time scales.
