Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/B506051/1
A physiochemically-stable seawater culturing system to constrain elemental and isotopic proxies in benthic foraminiferal calcite.
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Professor W Austin, University of St Andrews, School of Geography and Geosciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor D Paterson, University of St Andrews, Biology
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor H Elderfield, University of Cambridge, Earth Sciences
- Grant held at:
- University of St Andrews, School of Geography and Geosciences
- Science Area:
- Marine
- Earth
- Overall Classification:
- Marine
- ENRIs:
- Global Change
- Science Topics:
- Palaeobiology
- Ocean Circulation
- Ocean - Atmosphere Interact.
- Quaternary Science
- Palaeoenvironments
- Climate & Climate Change
- Abstract:
- Reliable, quantitative estimates of past ocean temperature are a major goal in climate research and, given our increasing need to understand the underlying dynamics of the global climate system, are likely to remain a research priority for the foreseeable future. Foraminifera provide useful records of past ocean chemistry (and temperature), particularly through the incorporation of elemental and isotopic proxies into their calcium carbonate tests. The combined use of Mg/Ca and sigma 18 O from the same foraminiferal samples therefore has considerable potential in palaeoceanographic application, but considerable challenges remain for Mg/Ca palaeothermometry, especially at lower temperatures and/or where those temperature changes are relatively small. Culture studies aimed at establishing proxy calibrations to date have almost exclusively been based on planktonic foraminifera and there are no culture calibrations of Mg/Ca and sigma 18 O with temperature. Hence, there is an urgent need to for complementary work using benthic foraminifera as well as an extension to investigate the range of environmental parameters that affect calcification and, therefore, most probably affect shell chemistry. To overcome these problems we will determine geochemical variations in foraminifera cultured in stringently controlled environments. We propose to establish the UK's first physiochemically-stable seawater system for the culture of benthic foraminifera, operating under a range of environmental and chemical conditions.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/B506051/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Capital Equipment Pre FEC
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Capital Equipment
This grant award has a total value of £280,857
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - Staff | Total - T&S | Total - Other Costs | Total - Equipment | Total - Indirect Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £136,691 | £5,038 | £17,359 | £58,894 | £62,877 |
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