Collaborative Research: An Eocene perspective on future recovery rates of climate and ocean chemistry

This projects provides a case study of a past climate event, called the Eocene Thermal Maximum-2 to constrain natural recovery rates of climate and ocean chemistry following massive carbon input into Earth's surface reservoirs. The study will allow new insight into past climate and ocean acidification processes that were hitherto unexplored, hence promoting the progress of science and advancing the field of climatology. Such insight is essential to providing the public, scientific leaders, and policy makers with a better understanding of the consequences of unabated CO2 emissions for global climate, ocean carbonate chemistry, and marine ecosystems. Moreover, the project integrates research and educational activities by introducing this information directly into secondary school and college curricula and popular journals. The project fosters education for graduate and undergraduate students from ethnically diverse populations, while conducting cutting-edge research at the same time. The outcome of this study will advancethe understanding of the Earth system and hence improve forecasts of future climate change, which is beneficial to society.

Specifically, proxy records will be generated and used (d13C, d18O, %CaCO3, B/Ca, d11B) in combination with numerical modeling to determine natural recovery times for carbon cycle processes, temperature, and surface ocean acidification. The study will (1) provide fundamental insight into negative climate-carbon cycle feedbacks, (2) address important gaps in data coverage and understanding of Eocene hyperthermals, and (3) constrain critical parameter values needed for future climate-carbon cycle simulations.