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A record of rapid climate change from the Pyrenees, Spain

Objetivo

Throughout the last hundred thousand years, Europe has experienced rapid swings in climate. Some of these changes have been of the order of 5-10°C in only a few decades. The cause of these changes lies in the oceanography of the North Atlantic Ocean. The Gulf Stream transports vast amounts of heat from the Tropics and releases it into Europe, maintaining a warm climate. However, this surface current has not always done this. It is now understood that in the past this current has sometimes abruptly swung to a more southerly position off the Iberian Peninsula, robbing northern Europe of heat and moisture. In this project we will explore the effect of these changes on glacier extent in the Spanish Pyrenees. Glaciers are highly sensitive to climate change, particularly to temperature. We will use the cutting edge technique of exposure dating using cosmogenic nuclides to determine the position of glaciers in the past. We will then reconstruct the position of the glaciers through time to determine the response to climate change on this system. To implement this project we will use existing infrastructure at the University of Exeter to introduce a capability to prepare samples for Cl-36 dating. Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity today. The findings from this project will help us understand the future effects of global warming so that we are better prepared for the environmental and economic costs.

Convocatoria de propuestas

FP7-PEOPLE-2010-RG
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Coordinador

THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
Aportación de la UE
€ 100 000,00
Dirección
THE QUEEN'S DRIVE NORTHCOTE HOUSE
EX4 4QJ Exeter
Reino Unido

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Región
South West (England) Devon Devon CC
Tipo de actividad
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Contacto administrativo
Enda Clarke (Dr.)
Enlaces
Coste total
Sin datos