Late Quaternary variability of surface-water characteristics and terrigenous input in the (sub-) polar North and South Pacific: A biomarker approach

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As outlined in the New Application, overall goal is the reconstruction of the variability of and linkages between surface-water characteristics and terrigenous (dust) input in the (sub-) polar North and South Pacific and their relationship to global climate change, using organicgeochemical proxies. Primary targets of the proposed study are: (1) sea-surface temperature reconstruction based on alkenones (Uk 37), (2) reconstruction of sea-ice cover based on highly-branched isoprenoids (HBIs, IP25), (3) reconstruction of productivity using specific biomarkers (alkenones, sterols - especially brassicasterol and dinosterol, short-chain nalkanes) and flux rates of marine organic carbon (OC), and (4) input of terrigenous OC using long-chain n-alkanes, sterols (campesterol, ß-sitosterol) and flux rates of terrigenous OC. The biomarker records will be related to micropaleontological (diatoms, dinoflagellates, etc.) and mineralogical (quartz, feldspars, etc.) paleoenvironment proxies obtained within other BIPOMAC subprojects on the sediment cores as well as dust/Fe and CO2 records from Greenland and Antarctic ice cores. Together with the other BIPOMAC subprojects, the results of this study will significantly increase our knowledge on (sub-) polar South and North Pacific climate variability, zonal and inter-hemispheric teleconnections, as well as the role of the High Latitudes in driving and amplifying global climate variability. During the SONNE Expediton “INOPEX” carried out in July/August 2009, a major milestone of this project, unique core matrial has been recovered which more or less guarantee the success of the planned studies.