Projects (PI)

The main goal of the project is to develop an open access and cross-platform software tool to document and track all of the published and future composite records of scientific ocean drilling core sites, the Ocean Drilling Composite Tracker. Scientist can use this tool to generate sample lists with sample identification as well as composite depth and vice versa for different composite versions, retrieve alternative sample locations in parallel sections that are not part of the composite record, extract data according to the composite from the drill core database, and retrieve ages for the samples or data using published age models. This tool is one step towards applying machine-aided data analysis and extraction.

This project, in collaboration with Anna Joy Drury (University College London), adresses the late Miocene permanent El Niño debate and aims to advance our understanding of the global consequences of dominant El Niño conditions during climates warmer than the present

In this project, we intend to establish a fully synchronized geochemical record spanning the Miocene of the equatorial Atlantic (Ceara Rise, Ocean Drilling Program Leg 154) and the equatorial Pacific (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expediton 320/321).

In international collaboration we plan to assemble the next generation of a deep-sea benthic isotope compilation spanning the Late Cretaceous to Eocene (34-75 Ma) for both Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. The compilation will utilize carefully selected deep-sea section and at unprecedented resolution (<10kyr). We will compile available benthic stable isotope data, fill gaps by generating new records and increase the resolution of existing. Based on extensive data sets and the detailed knowledge of earlier projects we will update, modify and then establish a fully integrated and consistent astronomically calibrated age model for the Atlantic and Pacific compilation. The envisaged new benthic stable isotope reference record on a synchronized astronomical time scale will provide completely new insight to the Eocene to late Cretaceous climate dynamics.
(Joined Project We5479_3 and Ro 1113_8)

The main scientific goal of the planned project is to investigate potential intrinsic problems with the astronomical calibration of the age of the Fish Canyon standard. We hypothesize that the tuning of the ash layers in the late Miocene Mediterranean sections (Sorbas, Faneromeni, Messadit, etc.; located in magnetochrons C3An.2n, C3.Ar and C3Bn) is incorrect by 2-3 precession cycles (40-60 kyr) compared to the rock clock synchronization. To test this hypothesis we plan to develop a very accurate astronomically calibrated time scale for magnetic polarity chrons C3An.1n (6 Ma) to C4n.1n (7.5 Ma) (including C3An.2n, C3.Ar and C3Bn) in the late Miocene studying three sites outside the Mediterranean: IODP Sites U1337 and U1338 in the equatorial Pacific and ODP Site 926 in the equatorial Atlantic. (Project We 5479_1)

We plan to complete the cyclostratigraphic framework based on the identification of the stable long eccentricity cycle (405 kyr) for the entire Eocene time (55 to 34 Ma) for both the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean by integrating high-resolution XRF core scanning and paleomagnetic data with stable isotope records.This project will synthesize a huge dataset to establish a fully integrated and astronomically calibrated bio-, chemo-, and magnetostratigraphy for the entire Eocene for the two major ocean basins, the Atlantic and Pacific. An accurate and precise age model for both oceans will be the key to substantially improve our understanding of the Eocene greenhouse climate variability and termination. (Joined Project We5479_2 and Ro 1113_7)