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- Hinrichs Lab - MOCCHA II
Hinrichs Lab - MOCCHA II
MOCCHA II: Multidisciplinary study of continental/ocean climate dynamics using high-resolution records from the Eastern Mediterranean
| Duration: | 2008-2011 |
| Funding: | European Science Foundation through national funding agencies (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG) (Project VE 486/1-1) |
| Principal Investigator(s): | Gerard Versteegh |
| Involved scientists in the Hinrichs Lab: | Kai-Uwe Hinrichs, Arne Leider |
| Partners: | Marie-Louise Goudreau and Gert de Lange (University Utrecht, Netherlands); Liang Chen and Karin Zonneveld (Universität Bremen, Germany); Anna-Lena Grauel and Stefano Bernasconi (ETH-Zürich, Switzerland) |
Abstract
Continuous marine high-resolution climate records with sufficient time resolution are needed to detect high-frequency variations in paleo-climate. Such records are rare but vital for our understanding of causes and consequences of climate and environmental change at decadal to millennial time scales.
The eastern Mediterranean Sea is particularly sensitive to climate change. There is especially a strong impact on the Precipitation-Evaporation budget. Already today water shortage in this densely populated is a recurring problem and therefore a better understanding of the climatic variability in the region is of direct societal relevance.
Sediment records at the south Italian shelf and deep Mediterranean anoxic basin provide continuous marine paleo-climate records that permit well dated climate reconstructions for at least the last few kyrs with a sub-decadal resolution. This project aims to assess the environmental and climatic changes and their human and natural forcing mechanisms for the last two millennia. Furthermore it aims to investigate if these sites are suitable for high- resolution studies of paleoclimate > 35 kyr, i.e. for future IODP drilling.
To achieve high quality environmental reconstruction and understanding a series of ship cruises and field trips has been carried out. These provided:
Continuous marine high-resolution climate records with sufficient time resolution are needed to detect high-frequency variations in paleo-climate. Such records are rare but vital for our understanding of causes and consequences of climate and environmental change at decadal to millennial time scales.
The eastern Mediterranean Sea is particularly sensitive to climate change. There is especially a strong impact on the Precipitation-Evaporation budget. Already today water shortage in this densely populated is a recurring problem and therefore a better understanding of the climatic variability in the region is of direct societal relevance.
Sediment records at the south Italian shelf and deep Mediterranean anoxic basin provide continuous marine paleo-climate records that permit well dated climate reconstructions for at least the last few kyrs with a sub-decadal resolution. This project aims to assess the environmental and climatic changes and their human and natural forcing mechanisms for the last two millennia. Furthermore it aims to investigate if these sites are suitable for high- resolution studies of paleoclimate > 35 kyr, i.e. for future IODP drilling.
To achieve high quality environmental reconstruction and understanding a series of ship cruises and field trips has been carried out. These provided:
- Surface sediment samples for calibrating the target proxies to the regional environments
- Multi-cores to investigate the heterogeneity in environmental evolution in the target regions for the last few centuries
- Gravity cores to investigate the environmental evolution deeper in time, e.g. during the Roman Optimum.
ESF Workshop EUROCORES, Giens 2008. Group photo MOCCHA Project. Back left to right: Liang Chen (Bremen University), Elisa Malinverno (Milan University), Gerard Versteegh (Bremen University). Front left to right: Stefano Bernasconi (ETH Zürich), Anna Lena Grauel (ETH Zürich), Gert de Lange (Utrecht University), Brice Robert (Utrecht University), Arne Leider (Bremen University). Missing: Karin Zonneveld (Bremen University), Marie Louise Boudreau (Utrecht University).
The team
A multidisciplinary approach is followed including four teams:
Marie-Louise Boudreau, Gert de Lange (University Utrecht, Netherlands)
The UU-team (PI, G.J. Reichart, their collaborators, and PhD) focus on the geochemical trace elemental composition of benthic foraminifers as palaeo-indicators (paleo-proxies)
Liang Chen, Karin Zonneveld (University Bremen, Germany)
The Bremen team performs an integrated study of assemblage composition as well as the elemental and isotopic composition of different taxonomic groups of carbonate- and/or organic-walled dinoflagelate cysts that are proxies for surface water temperature, surface water salinity, paleo-productivity and bottom water oxygen concentrations.
Arne Leider, Gerard Versteegh (MARUM/University Bremen, Germany)
This team performs the lipid biomarker analyses. From the biomarker data a variety of proxy data are generated. To unravel the mechanism(s) behind the observed solar activity-climate relationship, UK’37 and TEX86 temperature records are generated with a < 4 yr resolution. Furthermore, changes in the phytoplanktic community are reconstructed (e.g. alkenones for haptophytes, alkyl diols for eustigmatophytes and diatoms, HBI alkenes for diatoms, dinosterols for dinoflagellates) whereas continental organic matter will be determined using n-alkanes, the leaf waxes of higher plants. Compound-specific carbon and hydrogen isotopic compositions of leaf waxes will inform us on the ratio of C3 to C4 plants and the hither plant water budget in the hinterland, which is climate dependent.
Anna-Lena Grauel, Stefano Bernasconi (ETH-Zürich, Switzerland)
Oxygen and carbon isotopes, and the 13C-18O bond in planktonic and benthic foraminifers is measured in the same samples as the other T proxies, to evaluate changes in temperature salinity and productivity. The records are calibrated on well characterized modern samples grown at known temperatures, and cross calibrated with other temperature proxies and applied to the reconstruction of temperatures and salinity changes in the Mediterranean.
A multidisciplinary approach is followed including four teams:
Marie-Louise Boudreau, Gert de Lange (University Utrecht, Netherlands)
The UU-team (PI, G.J. Reichart, their collaborators, and PhD) focus on the geochemical trace elemental composition of benthic foraminifers as palaeo-indicators (paleo-proxies)
Liang Chen, Karin Zonneveld (University Bremen, Germany)
The Bremen team performs an integrated study of assemblage composition as well as the elemental and isotopic composition of different taxonomic groups of carbonate- and/or organic-walled dinoflagelate cysts that are proxies for surface water temperature, surface water salinity, paleo-productivity and bottom water oxygen concentrations.
Arne Leider, Gerard Versteegh (MARUM/University Bremen, Germany)
This team performs the lipid biomarker analyses. From the biomarker data a variety of proxy data are generated. To unravel the mechanism(s) behind the observed solar activity-climate relationship, UK’37 and TEX86 temperature records are generated with a < 4 yr resolution. Furthermore, changes in the phytoplanktic community are reconstructed (e.g. alkenones for haptophytes, alkyl diols for eustigmatophytes and diatoms, HBI alkenes for diatoms, dinosterols for dinoflagellates) whereas continental organic matter will be determined using n-alkanes, the leaf waxes of higher plants. Compound-specific carbon and hydrogen isotopic compositions of leaf waxes will inform us on the ratio of C3 to C4 plants and the hither plant water budget in the hinterland, which is climate dependent.
Anna-Lena Grauel, Stefano Bernasconi (ETH-Zürich, Switzerland)
Oxygen and carbon isotopes, and the 13C-18O bond in planktonic and benthic foraminifers is measured in the same samples as the other T proxies, to evaluate changes in temperature salinity and productivity. The records are calibrated on well characterized modern samples grown at known temperatures, and cross calibrated with other temperature proxies and applied to the reconstruction of temperatures and salinity changes in the Mediterranean.
Meetings
Biannual meetings of which the spring meeting is coupled to the annual EGU meeting and the autumn meeting is dedicated to the EUROCORES project at a site selected by the ESF.
Biannual meetings of which the spring meeting is coupled to the annual EGU meeting and the autumn meeting is dedicated to the EUROCORES project at a site selected by the ESF.
Ship cruises and field trips
ESPRESSO: Universitatis Cruise Milazzo - Bari, 21 August - 01 September 2006.
CAPPUCCINO: Calabrian and Adriatic (palaeo-)productivity and Climatic variability in the last two millennia. Poseidon Cruise 339, Piräus - Messina, 16 June - 2 July 2006.
DOPPIO: Deep Ocean Palaeoenvironmental and Paleoclimatic records from the IOnian Sea. Pelagia Cruise 64PE297. Lisboa - Heraklion 17 October- 06 November 2008.
MACCHIATO: Mediaeval Climate CHange In the Adriatic and gulf of TarantO. Pelagia Cruise 64PE315. Barcelona - Corfu 25 November - 13 December 2009.
RISTRETTO: RIver Specific TREnds To The Ocean. A field trip to sample Adriatic Coast and eastern Italian fresh waters. Po River - Santa Maria di Leuca: 03 October - 19 October 2009.
Publications
Versteegh, G. J. M. de Leeuw, J. W. Taricco, C. and Romero, A. (2007) Temperature and productivity influences on UK'37 and their possible relation to solar forcing of the Mediterranean winter. Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems, 8, Q09005. doi:10.1029/2006GC001543.
Zonneveld, K. A. F. Emeis, K. C. Holzwarth, U. Kniebel, N. Kuhnt, T. Möbius, J. Ní Fhlaithearta, S. Schmiedl, G. Versteegh, G. and Welti, R. (2008) Report and preliminary results of R/V POSEIDON Cruise P339, Piräus - Messina, 16 June - 2 July 2006. CAPPUCCINO - Calabrian and Adriatic palaeoproductivity and climatic variability in the last two millenia. Berichte aus dem Fachbereich Geowissenschaften der Universität Bremen, 268, 1-61.
Zonneveld, K. A. F. Chen, L. Möbius, J. and Mahmoud, M. S. (2009) Environmental significance of dinoflagellate cysts from the proximal part of the Po-river discharge plume (off southern Italy, Eastern Mediterranean). Journal of Sea Research, 62, 189-213. doi: 10.1016/j.seares.2009.02.003.
Grauel, A. L. and Bernasconi, S. M. (2010) Core-top calibration of δ18O and δ13C of G. ruber (white) and U. mediterranea along the southern Adriatic coast of Italy. Marine Micropaleontology 77, 175-186. doi:10.1016/j.marmicro.2010.09.003.
Leider, A. Hinrichs, K. -U. Mollenhauer, G. and Versteegh, G. J. M. (2010) Core top calibration of the lipid-based UK’37 and TEX86 temperature proxies on the southern Italian shelf (SW Adriatic Sea, Gulf of Taranto). Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 300, 112-132. doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2010.09.042.
Chen, L. Zonneveld, K. A. F. and Versteegh, G. J. M. (2011). Short term climate variability during “Roman Classical Period” in the eastern Mediterranean. Quaternary Science Reviews, 30, 3880-3891. doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2011.09.024.
Zonneveld, K. A. F. Chen, L. Elshanawany, R. Fischer, H. W. Hoins, M. Ibrahim, M. I. Pittauerova, D. and Versteegh, G. J. M. (2012). The use of dinoflagellate cysts to separate human and natural variability in the trophic state of the Po-river discharge plume during the last two centuries. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 64, 114-132. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2011.10.012.
Versteegh, G. J. M. de Leeuw, J. W. Taricco, C. and Romero, A. (2007) Temperature and productivity influences on UK'37 and their possible relation to solar forcing of the Mediterranean winter. Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems, 8, Q09005. doi:10.1029/2006GC001543.
Zonneveld, K. A. F. Emeis, K. C. Holzwarth, U. Kniebel, N. Kuhnt, T. Möbius, J. Ní Fhlaithearta, S. Schmiedl, G. Versteegh, G. and Welti, R. (2008) Report and preliminary results of R/V POSEIDON Cruise P339, Piräus - Messina, 16 June - 2 July 2006. CAPPUCCINO - Calabrian and Adriatic palaeoproductivity and climatic variability in the last two millenia. Berichte aus dem Fachbereich Geowissenschaften der Universität Bremen, 268, 1-61.
Zonneveld, K. A. F. Chen, L. Möbius, J. and Mahmoud, M. S. (2009) Environmental significance of dinoflagellate cysts from the proximal part of the Po-river discharge plume (off southern Italy, Eastern Mediterranean). Journal of Sea Research, 62, 189-213. doi: 10.1016/j.seares.2009.02.003.
Grauel, A. L. and Bernasconi, S. M. (2010) Core-top calibration of δ18O and δ13C of G. ruber (white) and U. mediterranea along the southern Adriatic coast of Italy. Marine Micropaleontology 77, 175-186. doi:10.1016/j.marmicro.2010.09.003.
Leider, A. Hinrichs, K. -U. Mollenhauer, G. and Versteegh, G. J. M. (2010) Core top calibration of the lipid-based UK’37 and TEX86 temperature proxies on the southern Italian shelf (SW Adriatic Sea, Gulf of Taranto). Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 300, 112-132. doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2010.09.042.
Chen, L. Zonneveld, K. A. F. and Versteegh, G. J. M. (2011). Short term climate variability during “Roman Classical Period” in the eastern Mediterranean. Quaternary Science Reviews, 30, 3880-3891. doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2011.09.024.
Zonneveld, K. A. F. Chen, L. Elshanawany, R. Fischer, H. W. Hoins, M. Ibrahim, M. I. Pittauerova, D. and Versteegh, G. J. M. (2012). The use of dinoflagellate cysts to separate human and natural variability in the trophic state of the Po-river discharge plume during the last two centuries. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 64, 114-132. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2011.10.012.