Varying Atlantic-to-Pacific Vapor Transport During the Last Glacial Cycle - A Global-Scale Climate Feedback?

Oregon State University, Corvallis OR

Investigators

Abstract

This proposal will attempt to reconstruct sea surface salinity in the eastern equatorial Pacific and Caribbean during the last glacial period. The project will estimate sea surface temperature using Mg/Ca in planktic foraminiferal shells, as well as from faunal assemblage of radiolaria and foraminifera. 18 O in planktic foraminifera will then be partitioned into temperature and salinity components. The goal is to test results of an atmospheric circulation model which predicts that the transport of water vapor between the tropical Atlantic and Pacific oceans varies with large-scale climate changes.