SMITH, LAURENCE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - LOS ANGELES
This project will examine the West Siberian Lowland with both remote sensing and field techniques to determine the sensitivity of areas underlain by peat to present and past variations in climate. Data on climate, hydrology, and peat will be combined with radiocarbon dates, sediment cores, near-infrared and microwave satellite imagery to answer a series of questions. The age, geologic history, and carbon content of the peat will be determined in order to examine the role of Arctic peatlands in the sequestration and release of carbon during global warming. The study is very important for understanding the role of global change on a large source of carbon that may contribute a natural source to the atmosphere if global warming occurs. The study will also yield information about the age of glaciation in the region and the migration and distribution of early human culture.
