Objective
Changes in atmospheric CO2 concentrations, recorded in ice-cores, may force up to 50% of the temperature change during Quaternary climate change. The 'biological pump', by which carbon is sequestered from the atmosphere and transferred to the deep ocean, is one of the key processes that control atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations on these timescales. Variation in the strength of this pump is one of the most popular hypotheses to explain the ice-core data.
A strengthened biological pump during glacial periods requires higher primary productivity in the surface ocean and increased trace metal supply to certain key regions of the ocean is a potential mechanism to achieve this. We have no robust proxies for the past trace metal content of the surface ocean. The host institution for this proposal has been pioneering a new approach involving the isotopes of zinc (Zn). Early findings show, firstly, that the light Zn isotopes are preferentially taken up by marine primary producers.
Secondly, the Zn isotopic composition of dissolved Zn in trace-metal limited zones of the surface ocean show that surface waters are enriched in heavy isotopes relative to continental input. These observations suggest that Zn isotopes could provide a record of the degree of trace metal limitation in the past surface ocean, and hence the efficiency with which the surface ocean takes up atmospheric carbon dioxide.
The objectives of this proposal are to apply this tracer, using diatom opal as a substrate, to the past oceans, specifically to regions of the present surface ocean that are trace metal limited (S. Ocean and N. Pacific) but which have been suggested to have been released from it during glacial periods.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology phycology
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry transition metals
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences geochemistry isotope geochemistry
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry metalloids
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences atmospheric sciences climatology climatic changes
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP6-2005-MOBILITY-5
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
N/A BRISTOL
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.