P2C2: Seasonality from Speleothems--High-Resolution Ion Microprobe Studies at Soreq Cave, Israel

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This project applies new high-resolution micro-analytical techniques to speleothems from Soreq Cave (Israel). The climate goal is to examine hydrological seasonality as recorded in cave deposits during periods of climatic change such as the last glacial maximum (LGM), the transition from the LGM to the interglacial (including Heinrich event H1,Bølling-Allerød, and the Younger Dryas), and other extreme wet and drought events during the Holocene.The analytical goal of the project is to develop annual to sub-annual time resolution in the isotope and trace element records across multiple time intervals since the LGM. Specifically, the researcher and his colleagues will employ an ion microprobe to analyze stable isotope ratios (Oxygen & Carbon) and trace elements at sub-annual resolution; confocal laser fluorescent microscopy to image annual growth bands; and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-mass spectrometry) to determine the age of calcite precipitation. The primary broader impacts involve exploring new analytical tools for climate research, examining climate forcing and impacts in arid regions, supporting a graduate student, and promoting strong international collaborations.