Logo Universitat Bremen
Page path:

María Toyos

Fellowship Project Abstract

María H. Toyos Simón

 

A novel approach to estimate long-term mass accumulation rates corrected for syndepositional redistribution in marine sediments

 

Reconstructions of oceanic particle fluxes from the sedimentary record are a central part of paleoceanography research. Traditionally, fluxes of material to the seafloor have been estimated from mass accumulation rates between dates sediments horizons (BMAR). However, BMAR and the resulting paleoceanographic interpretation may suffer from substantial errors if lateral redistribution of sediments is not considered.

The general objective of this project is to develop an approach that allows us to calculate accurately and easily mass accumulation rates of strategical regions of the Earth affected by strong bottom current dynamics (i.e., northern and western Atlantic, Southern Ocean…) beyond the last 400 kyr. To do so, I propose to use the relationship between the Th-derived focusing factors, which indicate lateral redistribution of sediments, and the sortable silt, as a proxy for past bottom strength fluctuations. Summarizing, the ultimate goal of this project is to use this new methodological approach in marine sediments beyond the limits of the instrumental record to better understand the processes controlling past climates. Thus, the research project aligns with the main themes of the Cluster of Excellence.

CV

EDUCATION

  • March 2022. Ph.D. in Oceanography. University of Concepción, Concepción (Chile).
  • October 2014. Master of Environmental Geology and Geological Resources (Speciality in Sedimentary basins and energy resources). Complutense University, Madrid (Spain).
  • March 2012. Bachelor in Geology. Faculty of Geology, Oviedo University, Oviedo (Spain).

HONORS/AWARDS

  • Academic Excellent Award, 2012. Faculty of Geology, Oviedo University, Oviedo (Spain).

PUBLICATIONS

  • Toyos, M. H., Winckler, G., Arz, H. W., Lembke-Jene, L., Lange, C. B., Kuhn, G. and Lamy, F. (2022). Variations in export production, lithogenic sediment transport and iron fertilization in the Pacific sector of the Drake Passage over the past 400 kyr. Clim. Past, 18(1), 147–166, doi:10.5194/cp-18-147-2022.
  • Toyos, M. H., Lamy, F., Lange, C. B., Lembke‐Jene, L., Saavedra‐Pellitero, M., Esper, O., & Arz, H. W. (2020). Antarctic Circumpolar Current Dynamics at the Pacific Entrance to the Drake Passage Over the Past 1.3 Million Years. Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology, 35 (7), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019PA003773.
  • Toyos, M. H., Medialdea, T., León, R., Somoza, L., González, F. J., & Meléndez, N. (2016). Evidence of episodic long-lived eruptions in the Yuma, Ginsburg, Jesús Baraza and Tasyo mud volcanoes, Gulf of Cádiz. Geo-Marine Letters, 36 (3), 197–214. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-016-0440-z.

RESEARCH STAYS

  • April 2022–June 2022. Researcher in the Marine Geology Section at the Alfred-Wegener-Institut (AWI). Bremerhaven, Germany.
  • September 2018–January 2019. Research stay in the Marine Geology Section at the Alfred-Wegener-Institut (AWI).Bremerhaven, Germany.
  • June–August 2018. Research stay in the Geochemistry Division of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University (LDEO). New York, USA.
  • May–November 2017. Research stay in the Marine Geology Section at the Alfred-Wegener-Institut (AWI). Bremerhaven, Germany.
  • January 2016–March 2022. Researcher as  a Ph.D. student in the Paleoceanography Group at Concepción University and at the Fondap-IDEAL Research Center. Concepción, Chile. Ph.D. Thesis project: Changes in productivity and in the strength of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current through the Drake Passage over the past 1.3 million years, and its global implications on the meridional overturning circulation.
  • September 2013–August 2014. Research stay in the Geological Survey of Spain (IGME). Carrying out the Master’s thesis project “Morphostructural and seismic study of Yuma, Ginsburg, Jesús Baraza and Tasyo mud volcanoes (Gulf of Cadiz)”.

SEAGOING EXPERIENCE

  • April–May, 2022. Participation on the SO290 expedition on R/V SONNE.
  • March–April, 2014. Participation on the Subvent-02 expedition on R/V Sarmiento de Gamboa.