Projektbeschreibung
Das Meereis im nordwestlichen Atlantik und seine Bedeutung für den Kollaps der Eisdecke
Welche Bedeutung hat das Meereis für das Klimasystem? Wirkt sich der aktuelle Rückgang des Meereises auf die Eisdecke in Grönland aus? Die Antwort auf diese Frage liegt im Verständnis der historischen Reaktion von Eisdecken auf den Klimawandel. In diesem Rahmen möchte das EU-finanzierte Projekt IceLab die Verbindung zwischen Meereis, ozeanischem Strömungsprozess, Untergrunderwärmung und Eisdeckenkollaps in der Labradorsee untersuchen. Im Fokus steht, die Bedeutung des Meereises für die Stabilität der Eisdecke zu verstehen. Die Methodik basiert auf einem integrierten Ansatz von organischer und anorganischer Geochemie in Kombination mit hochmodernen Datierungs- und Korrelationsverfahren. Letztlich trägt das Projekt zu besseren Prognosen in Bezug auf den Masseverlust der Eisdecke Grönlands bei.
Ziel
Northern hemisphere ice sheets are particularly vulnerable to climate change as the Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet. Scenarios of future ice sheet stability, however, are associated with significant uncertainty, due to a lack of understanding of the relevant internal climate feedbacks. These processes involve ocean-ice sheet interactions and the effects of sea ice on the terrestrial cryosphere. With increased societal concerns over rising sea levels, it is more than ever important to understand the implications of climate change for ice sheet stability. The key lies in understanding the response of past ice sheets to climate change.
Prominent episodes of past ice-sheet collapse are so-called Heinrich events during the last glacial period, originating in Hudson Strait. While modelling studies have long hinted at the importance of sea ice in the Labrador Sea for subsurface warming and ocean induced melting during Heinrich events, this has not been shown using proxy methods. My project will investigate the links and feedbacks of sea ice, ocean circulation, subsurface warming, and ice-sheet collapse in the Labrador Sea to determine the role of the coupled cryosphere-ocean system for ice sheet stability across. Additionally, the effect of enhanced freshwater discharge on the system will be documented and a spatial-temporal map of North Atlantic sea ice dynamics across Heinrich events will be constructed. I will apply an integrated approach of organic and inorganic geochemistry, using sea-ice biomarkers, foraminiferal isotopes, and foraminiferal trace metals (i.e. Mg/Ca) in combination with state-of-the-art dating and correlation techniques. The new records will provide important clues with respect to a potential oceanic trigger of Hudson Strait iceberg surges during Heinrich events as well as advancing our understanding of the coupled cryosphere-ocean system, vital to accurately predict mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet in the future.
Wissenschaftliches Gebiet
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesgeochemistry
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesastronomyplanetary sciencesplanets
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changes
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesphysical geographyglaciology
Schlüsselbegriffe
Programm/Programme
Thema/Themen
Aufforderung zur Vorschlagseinreichung
Andere Projekte für diesen Aufruf anzeigenFinanzierungsplan
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Koordinator
8000 Aarhus C
Dänemark