Collaborative Research: PReSto: A Paleoclimate Reconstruction Storehouse to Broaden Access and Accelerate Scientific Inference

University Of Southern California, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

Records from tree rings, lake sediments, corals, and ice cores can be used as sources of information to understand how climate has changed in the past. Each of these sources can contain local climate information, so to look at continental or global-scale changes in climate these observations must be combined into “paleoclimate reconstructions”. Such reconstructions are broadly used to inform many fields, including archaeology, ecology and climate science, as well as land management and climate policy decisions. At present, there is no integrated solution to produce, update, or distribute these reconstructions. As a result, they are rarely updated, and the lack of a central clearinghouse makes reliable reconstructions difficult to find for non-experts. This project will create a Paleoclimate Reconstruction Storehouse (PReSto), that will use the most up-to-date data and cutting edge methods to provide broad access to paleoclimate reconstructions on the internet. By streamlining and increasing broader access to these important scientific resources, this project can accelerate scientific advances and improve public access to scientific products. PReSto will be an integrated solution that builds on existing and emerging cyberinfrastructure to 1) connect a steadily growing digital collection of paleoclimate data to evolving methodologies, 2) distribute the results, and 3) effectively visualize them through a web-based portal. Although PReSto will be designed for paleoclimate reconstructions of any climate variable or time period, this project will pilot the platform on two complementary time periods: the Common Era (the past 2,000 years) and the Holocene (the past ~12,000 years). Both periods help place modern climate into a much longer context, allowing researchers to probe low-frequency climate variability and its drivers. The Common Era incorporates monthly and annual records and established methodologies, whereas Holocene climate is typically observed at lower temporal resolution and synthesized using methods that are still under development. All code and outputs in PReSto will be publicly available and support knowledge transfer to constituencies at multiple levels of data and science literacy. PReSto will build capacity in the paleoclimate community with workshops that will 1) train data stewards to properly digitize and describe paleoclimate datasets, and 2) train early-career researchers to use this cyberinfrastructure to further their scientific objectives. This project will also develop resources for K-12 and tribal college teachers in Northern Arizona, and design and offer one-day educational workshops for teachers throughout the region. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.