ABSTRACT OPP-9813784 COBABE, EMILY UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS The project will explore at least one arctic lake for the presence of alkenone-producing algae. If found, the presence of alkenones will allow the investigator to develop a tool for determining the paleotemperature of lake sediments for the first time as has been done for marine sediments where alkenone-producing algae are known to exist. At present, the paleotemperature is inferred from proxy data sources such as of diatoms, pollen, and geochemical tracers that have not been calibrated to absolute temperature with any certainty. The development of the new paleotemperature tool will greatly facilitate reconstruction of arctic climate regimes as well as provide important data for model simulation validations.
