Papua New Guinea Paleoclimate Research: A Planning Visit

University Of New Hampshire, Durham NH

Investigators

Abstract

Prentice 0087930 This award supports a planning visit to Papua New Guinea to initiate collaboration with researchers at the Department of Geology at the University of Papua New Guinea. The purpose of this collaboration is to plan and conduct research on the paleoclimate records from lake sediments in the region. Funding includes follow-up analyses of core samples in hand, and reconnaissance and preliminary coring of new lakes. The scientific problem to be addressed is the sensitivity of the tropical pacific climate system to the forcing of the Last Glacial Maximum and the deglaciation 18,000 to 10,000 years ago. This is of interest in trying to understand climate variability, and particularly the role of the tropical Pacific.