Early Grant in Exploratory Research: Acquisition and analysis of sediment cores from the eastern tropical Indian Ocean

探索性研究的早期资助：东热带印度洋沉积物岩心的采集和分析

• 批准号: 1400860
• 负责人: Christopher Charles
• 金额: $ 3.53万
• 依托单位: University of California-San Diego Scripps Inst of Oceanography
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-12-01 至 2015-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1400860&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Early; Grant; Exploratory; Research; Acquisition

The dynamics of the tropical Indian Ocean represent a major wildcard in the projections of many large-scale aspects of the climate system. In principle, the strength of the South Asian monsoon, the inter-ocean linkages of interannual-centennial variability throughout the tropics, and the expression of greenhouse gas induced warming of the upper ocean must all be influenced by, or mediated through the tropical thermocline. Despite its importance, there are a number of first order questions about the dynamics and variability in this system that remain unanswered.The primary objective of this work is to collect and analyze sediment cores from an under-sampled region with the eventual goal of resolving the mid- to upper tropical Indian Ocean dynamics over ice age cycles. The project takes advantage of a student training expedition that will focus primarily on geophysical mapping of the Sunda Arc, but also allow ample time for surveying and gravity coring of nearby areas. Follow-on work will include laboratory-based analysis of the those sediment cores to establishstratigraphic context and to test the potential of new methods (e.g., individual foraminiferal analysis) for addressing the overall objectives of the project.The primary broader impact of this project lies in the exceptional opportunity for heuristic student training in oceanographic sample and data collection. Students will experience the sediment coring process from start to finish--from the strategic design of the cruise plan, through the shipboard execution of gravity coring, and ultimately to the scientific applications. The outcomes of the coring and surveys will also provide the basis for larger basin-wide initiatives to study long-timescale tropical climate change.

热带印度洋的动态代表了气候系统许多大尺度方面的预测中的一个主要通配符。原则上，南亚季风的强度、整个热带年际-百年变率的海洋间联系以及温室气体引起的上层海洋变暖的表现都必须受到热带温跃层的影响或介导。尽管它很重要，但关于该系统的动力学和变异性的许多首要问题仍未得到解答。这项工作的主要目标是收集和分析来自欠采样区域的沉积物岩心，最终目标是解决冰河时代周期中热带印度洋的中上层动态。该项目利用学生培训考察的机会，主要关注巽他弧的地球物理测绘，但也留出充足的时间对附近地区进行测量和重力取芯。后续工作将包括对这些沉积物岩心进行实验室分析，以建立地层背景并测试新方法（例如个体有孔虫分析）的潜力，以实现项目的总体目标。该项目的主要更广泛影响在于在海洋学样本和数据收集方面启发式学生培训的绝佳机会。学生将体验从始至终的沉积物取芯过程——从巡航计划的战略设计，到船上重力取芯的执行，最后到科学应用。取芯和调查的结果还将为研究长期尺度热带气候变化的更大规模的全流域举措提供基础。