Project Objectives
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Above: McLane Mark 78 automated sediment trap. The trap was recovered in January, 2009. [larger version]
Above: Biogenic sediments collected from the upper 800 m in the McLane Mark 78 automated sediment trap at weekly intervals from late October, 2008 to early January, 2009. [larger version]
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This project develops records of past climate and environmental conditions by analyses of planktic and benthic microfossils, geochemistry of microfossil shells, and physical properties and geochemical data from sediment cores from the northern slope and shelf of the Gulf of Mexico. The project also develops climate and environmental records from geochemistry and growth characteristics of coral skeletons from the Atlantic and Caribbean region. The marine records are linked with environmental changes on the adjacent continent.
Detailed Climate History Time Series: Studies concentrate on the last few thousand years. Analysis of sediment cores are at submillennial to decadal resolution; analysis of coral skeletons are at sub-annual resolution.
Paleo-Hypoxia: The development of oxygen depleted bottom waters off the continental shelf of Louisiana and Texas has been identified as a human-related environmental problem but little work has been done to determine if the occurrence of hypoxia is related to natural processes and cycles. We have developed proxies to detect hypoxia in transects of Holocene sediments along the Louisiana and Texas continental shelf.
Modern Calibration Study: Microfossils recovered in a sediment trap in the northern Gulf of Mexico are used to better assess the control of temperature and salinity on the composition of microfossil assemblages and the chemical composition of their shells. The new information will be used to develop better estimates of past conditions from analyses of microfossils in sediment cores.
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