Objective Phosphorus (P) is a key and often limiting nutrient for phytoplankton in the ocean. A strong positive feedback exists between marine P availability, primary production and ocean anoxia: increased production leads to ocean anoxia, which, in turn, decreases the burial efficiency of P in sediments and therefore increases the availability of P and production in the ocean. This feedback likely plays an important role in the present-day expansion of low-oxygen waters (“dead zones”) in coastal systems worldwide. Moreover, it contributed to the development of global scale anoxia in ancient oceans. Critically, however, the responsible mechanisms for the changes in P burial in anoxic sediments are poorly understood because of the lack of chemical tools to directly characterize sediment P. I propose to develop new methods to quantify and reconstruct P dynamics in low-oxygen marine systems and the link with carbon cycling in Earth’s present and past. These methods are based on the novel application of state-of-the-art geochemical analysis techniques to determine the burial forms of mineral-P within their spatial context in modern sediments. The new analysis techniques include nano-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry (nanoSIMS), synchotron-based scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). I will use the knowledge obtained for modern sediments to interpret sediment records of P for periods of rapid and extreme climate change in Earth’s history. Using various biogeochemical models developed in my research group, I will elucidate and quantify the role of variations in the marine P cycle in the development of low-oxygen conditions and climate change. This information is crucial for our ability to predict the consequences of anthropogenically-enhanced inputs of nutrients to the oceans combined with global warming. Fields of science humanitieshistory and archaeologyhistorynatural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsmicroscopynatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changesnatural scienceschemical sciencesanalytical chemistrymass spectrometrynatural sciencesphysical sciencesopticslaser physics Programme(s) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) ERC-SG-PE10 - ERC Starting Grant - Earth system science Call for proposal ERC-2011-StG_20101014 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-SG - ERC Starting Grant Coordinator UNIVERSITEIT UTRECHT Address Heidelberglaan 8 3584 CS Utrecht Netherlands See on map Region West-Nederland Utrecht Utrecht Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Principal investigator Caroline Slomp (Dr.) Administrative Contact Bas Leeflang (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window EU contribution No data Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all UNIVERSITEIT UTRECHT Netherlands EU contribution € 1 498 000,00 Address Heidelberglaan 8 3584 CS Utrecht See on map Region West-Nederland Utrecht Utrecht Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Principal investigator Caroline Slomp (Dr.) Administrative Contact Bas Leeflang (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Other funding No data
