ecolmas-course2003-06

November, 25 - 28, 2003, Bremen

Ocean carbonates and their budgets

Rüdiger Henrich, Gerald Ganssen (EUROPROX, RCOM)



Objectives
In the focus of the ongoing climate discussion, large efforts have been to evaluate the role of the ocean in the global exchange of CO2. This requires a solid knowledge of the complex processes involved in the marine carbonate system, as does developing budgets for marine carbonate production and dissolution under different oceanic regimes. There is general consensus that in the present day cycle more than half of the global carbonate budget is accumulating on the shelves even though their surface area represents only 7.5 % of the global ocean. This pattern is clearly related to interglacial sea level high-stands. However, the data used for the budgeting of modern open-ocean carbonate production and dissolution is sparse, and estimates differ significantly between various models.

In this course we will evaluate the ecology and production rates of the main calcareous pelagic plankton groups (i.e. planktic foraminifers, pteropods and coccolithophorids) and provide estimations of their contribution to the carbonate budgets. In addition, we will discuss tropical and non-tropical shelf carbonate systems and present an overview on current approaches to the budgeting and modelling ocean carbonates on a global scale.

Topics
- Ecology, production rates and contribution to the pelagic carbonate budget (Planktic foraminifers: Gerald Ganssen; Coccolithophorids: Karl-Heinz Baumann; Pteropods: Gerald Ganssen, Rüdiger Henrich)
- Carbonate preservation: Evaluation of dissolution proxies, quantification of weight loss, paleoceanographic case studies (Rüdiger Henrich).
- Shelf carbonates: Characteristics of tropical versus non-tropical shelf carbonate systems, production rates and contribution to the carbonate budget (Rüdiger Henrich, Rebecca Rendle).
- Ocean carbonates: Global budgets and models (Michael Schulz).

Each of the topics includes a lecture providing the basic knowledge and discussing paleoceanographic applications and case studies. In addition, during practical exercises the participants will achieve a basic training in the applied methodological approaches.

Course schedule
Each day morning (9.00-12.30) and afternoon (13.30-17.00) sessions.

Location
Research Center Ocean Margins, University of Bremen, Germany
Am Fallturm 1, 28359 Bremen, Room TAB Seminar 1 (close to Geo Dep.)

To subscribe
mail to: (Torsten Bickert)