Details of Award

NERC Reference : NE/Z504129/1

A novel proxy for past ocean carbon concentration

Principal Investigator:: Dr O Branson, University of Cambridge, Earth Sciences
Co-Investigator:: Dr E Tipper, University of Cambridge, Earth Sciences
Co-Investigator:: Dr JWB Rae, University of St Andrews, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Grant held at:: University of Cambridge, Earth Sciences

Abstract:: Atmospheric CO2 is now higher than at any point in the last three million years. To understand how the Earth responds to these extreme CO2 levels, we can examine how the climate operated in the distant past, when CO2 was last this high. Our understanding of CO2 this long ago is based on chemical 'proxy' records preserved in the geological record. These proxies are informative, but none are perfect; even the best established proxies must rely upon uncertain assumptions about how the total concentration of carbon in the ocean has changed through time to calculate atmospheric CO2. Crucially, there is no proxy that allows us to directly determine the concentration of carbon in past oceans, which limits the accuracy of long-term atmospheric CO2 reconstructions. We aim to address this major knowledge gap by developing a new proxy for past ocean carbon conccentrations based on the Sr/Li ratio in the shells of marine plankton.

Authorised funds only

This grant award has a total value of £669,018

DI - Other Costs	Indirect - Indirect Costs	DA - Investigators	DI - Staff	DI - Equipment	DA - Estate Costs	DI - T&S	DA - Other Directly Allocated
£66,977	£215,946	£30,487	£145,694	£64,469	£58,930	£46,248	£40,265

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