The history of atmospheric circulation is an important element of paleoclimatology and the best reconstructions of atmospheric circulation come from analyzing the aeolian sediments found in deep sea cores. This proposal requests support to use a series of new piston cores to reconstruct the history of oceanic and atmospheric circulation in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. The scientific goals of this study are to: 1) reconstruct the history of northern hemisphere trade winds for the Pleistocene; 2) determine the relationship between climate change and productivity in the equatorial Pacific; and 3) determine the nature of orbital forcing and climatic-oceanic response in this region. This research is important because it will provide documentation of the response of the atmosphere to changes in climatic forcing, documentation of the response of the oceans to changes in atmospheric circulation, and important data bases to test the sensitivity of atmospheric General Circulation Models.

Agency
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute
Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS)
Application #
9113508
Program Officer
Herman Zimmerman
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
1991-05-15
Budget End
1994-10-31
Support Year
Fiscal Year
1991
Total Cost
$89,273
Indirect Cost
Name
Oregon State University
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Corvallis
State
OR
Country
United States
Zip Code
97331