Continentally-derived Biogenic Organic Compounds in the Atmosphere and Waters of the Western North Atlantic

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9529671 CONTE This research will use specific molecular marker compounds (biomarkers) derived from terrestrial plants (e.g.C22 n-alkanes,n- alkanols, and n-alkanoic acids, terpenes and their derivatives) to "fingerprint" biogenic carbon from different continental source regions and to assess the magnitude and variation in aeolian inputs and deep ocean fluxes or terrestrially-derived biomarkers in the atmosphere, rainfall and surface waters near Bermuda and the "molecular signature" of the main continental source regions (2) to investigate the meteorological and climatic controls on the magnitude and variability of aeolian fluxes from these source regions, (3) to determine the time-varying pattern of deep ocean fluxes of terrestrial biomarkers and to investigate the upper ocean processes that link aeolian deposition and deep ocean sedimentation, and (4) to determine the interannual variations in deep ocean sedimentation patterns for recent years of climatic extremes (e.g. ENSO, subSaharan drought events), to quantitatively assess how terrestrial biomarker sedimentation patterns vary with changes in the North Atlantic climate system.