Recommendation: Funds are provided for C-13 isotopic analysis of planktonic foraminifera sacculifer and benthic foram wuellerstorfi in two piston cores from the western equatorial pacific. This will provide arecord of surface and deep water changes in total dissolved inorganic carbon for the past 350 to 400 k.yrs. The PIs plan to compare these records to the ice- core records of atmospheric CO2 of the last 160.yrs. with the objective to determine patterns of change of net biological productivity and deep ocean circulation during the Pleistocene. The study is a continuation of the senior PIs work on the box modelling of delta C-13 and additional two years funding for a graduate student will allow the completion of this important work.
