News Release

Tracking marine plankton provides new information to reconstruct past climate

UM Rosenstiel School scientist develops a new biophysical model for paleo-climate study

Peer-Reviewed Publication

University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science

Pelagic Foraminifera

image: Pelagic foraminifera from sediment cores collected from the Caribbean Basin, contain the history of water temperature in which they lived. view more 

Credit: Diana Udel, UM Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science

MIAMI - A new study from an international team of scientists uncovered new information about the tiny, globetrotting organisms commonly used to reconstruct past climate conditions. The findings can aid in improving our understanding of past global climate conditions.

Using a state-of-the-art biophysical computer model developed by University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science scientist Claire Paris, called the Connectivity Modeling System, the researchers showed that some of the tiny ocean organisms, known as foraminifera, drifted significantly before falling to the seafloor and being fossilized. While others, may not have drifted much at all according to the currents in the region where they were found and the lifespan of the species.

"The model used in the study traced the temperature history of the planktonic forams drifting in the ocean as they grew their tiny shell," said Paris, associate professor of ocean sciences. "It enabled the team to look at the origin of the shells that eventually sank to the seafloor."

The team discovered that some foraminifera are transported by currents along very long distances, up to thousands of kilometers. Their fossilized remains found in seafloor core samples reflect ocean temperatures that are significantly different from where they were found. They discovered that the effect of the drift could be up to 3° Celsius.

"The idea has always been that the critters record the temperature right above where they are found on the ocean floor," says Erik van Sebille, lead author of the study and a climate scientist at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science and Imperial College London. "However, these critters are so small that they are at the mercy of the currents. They could easily have drifted for thousands of kilometers during their life span."

Studying climate conditions in the past is essential to understand the global climate system and to predict future climate conditions. Foraminifera live close to the ocean's surface, where they "record" the water temperature, and as they die they settle to the ocean's floor. Scientists extract sediment cores to analyze the shell, which are similar to tree rings but on time scales of millions of years.

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The study, titled "Ocean currents generate large footprints in marine palaeoclimate proxies" was published in the March 4 issue of the journal Nature Communications. The papers authors include: Paris, Erik van Sebille and Chris Turney from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science and Imperial College London; Paolo Scussolini and Frank Peeters from VU University Amsterdam; Jonathan V. Durgadoo and Arne Biastoch from GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Germany; Wilbert Weijer from the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico; and Rainer Zahn from Institucio´ Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA) in Spain.

About the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School

The University of Miami is one of the largest private research institutions in the southeastern United States. The University's mission is to provide quality education, attract and retain outstanding students, support the faculty and their research, and build an endowment for University initiatives. Founded in the 1940's, the Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science has grown into one of the world's premier marine and atmospheric research institutions. Offering dynamic interdisciplinary academics, the Rosenstiel School is dedicated to helping communities to better understand the planet, participating in the establishment of environmental policies, and aiding in the improvement of society and quality of life. For more information, visit: http://www.rsmas.miami.edu.


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