Collaborative Research: Snapshots of Miocene to Recent Paleoenvironmental and Paleoecological Conditions in the Northern Neotropics

合作研究：中新世到北部新热带地区近期古环境和古生态条件的快照

• 批准号: 2028754
• 负责人: Anders Noren
• 金额: $ 5.05万
• 依托单位: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-08-15 至 2024-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2028754&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Snapshots; Miocene; Recent

During the last 20 million years, Earth has experienced several climatic changes that affected environmental and ecological conditions in several locations around the world. While numerous studies from high latitude regions have provided a wealth of information about the effects of these past climatic fluctuations, how they affected conditions in the continental tropics is poorly known, mainly due to the lack of long geological records that can be used for scientific investigations. In this project, the Lake Izabal Basin in Guatemala, which preserves one of the longest records of continental sediments in the tropics, will be studied to develop a better understanding of how the area responded to key climate events in the past. In addition to the project’s scientific outcomes, the project will provide educational and research opportunities to two graduate students through participation in an international research project. The project also will reach a broader audience through the development of geoscience class modules for elementary and middle school science classes and educational geoscience workshops for K-12 science teachers. While numerous studies from high latitude regions have provided a wealth of information about the effects of late Cenozoic climatic fluctuations on environmental and ecological conditions, our knowledge from tropical regions is minimal by comparison. The proposed project focuses on the intersection of sedimentary systems and ecosystems in the Lake Izabal Basin in eastern Guatemala, a large pull-apart basin that contains a thick sedimentological record that extends into the Miocene. The investigation will use the sedimentological record through the study of outcrop data representing the basin’s basement and initial infill from the Oligocene-Pliocene, industry-acquired seismic data covering the Miocene-Recent, drill cuttings from a well spanning the Miocene-Recent, and long sediment cores (10 m) covering the last 30,000 years. The project will provide educational and international research opportunities to two graduate students through training in geophysical, sedimentological, and palynological data acquisition, processing, and interpretation, thereby contributing towards a stronger geoscience workforce. The project will also reach out to a broader audience by visiting science classrooms in Missouri and presenting and sharing research results during STEM days for elementary and middle school female students at Missouri University of Science and Technology. Finally, involvement and collaboration with Guatemalan institutions will provide international research opportunities and collaborations and enhance transfer of knowledge among U.S. and Guatemalan collaborators.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

在过去的 2000 万年里，地球经历了几次气候变化，影响了世界各地的环境和生态条件，而来自高纬度地区的大量研究提供了有关过去这些气候波动的影响及其如何影响的丰富信息。人们对大陆热带地区受影响的情况知之甚少，主要是因为缺乏可用于科学调查的长期地质记录。在该项目中，危地马拉的伊萨瓦尔湖盆地保存了最长的大陆记录之一。将研究热带地区的沉积物，以更好地了解该地区如何应对过去的关键气候事件。除了该项目的科学成果外，该项目还将通过参与一项研究为两名研究生提供教育和研究机会。该项目还将通过为小学和初中科学课程开发地球科学课程模块以及为 K-12 科学教师举办教育地球科学研讨会，从而吸引更广泛的受众，同时来自高纬度地区的大量研究也提供了丰富的信息。关于新生代晚期的影响相比之下，我们对热带地区的了解很少，该项目重点关注危地马拉东部伊萨瓦尔湖盆地的沉积系统和生态系统的交汇处，这是一个包含厚厚沉积物的大型拉裂盆地。该调查将通过研究代表盆地基底的露头数据和渐新世-上新世的初始填充物以及工业获取的地震数据来使用沉积学记录。中新世-近代、跨越中新世-近代井的钻屑以及覆盖过去 30,000 年的长沉积物岩心 (10 m) 该项目将通过地球物理、沉积学和地质学方面的培训为两名研究生提供教育和国际研究机会。该项目还将通过访问密苏里州的科学教室并在中小学 STEM 日期间展示和分享研究成果，为更强大的地球科学队伍做出贡献。最后，与危地马拉机构的参与和合作将提供国际研究机会和合作，并加强美国和危地马拉合作者之间的知识转移。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并被认为值得支持。通过使用基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估。