CAREER: Deciphering Antarctic Climate Variability during the Temperate/Polar Transition and Improving Climate Change Literacy in Louisiana through a Companion Outreach Program

智力优势：PI建议对花粉、孢子、淡水藻类和甲藻孢囊组合进行高分辨率的古环境研究，以调查ANDRILL SMS钻芯和陆地切片记录的南极突然变暖事件的孢粉学记录。这些数据将被用来推断这些快速气候事件的因果机制。陆地样本将在干旱山谷地区的不同高度获得。花粉和孢子将提供有关大气条件的数据，而藻类将提供有关海面条件的数据。这些数据将有助于识别气候突然变化的触发因素。如果它们是由洋流的变化引起的，那么当洋流影响它们的分布时，信号将首先在恐囊组合中可见。相反，如果这些变化是由大气因素触发的，那么这些变化将首先影响植物，并在花粉记录中可见。广泛影响：PI提出了一系列活动，将实地气候变化研究带给更广泛的受众。PI将为不同的学生和教育工作者群体提供建议。作为这项研究的一部分，收集的孢粉学数据将部分用于开发关于南极孢粉学的新讲座，这些新讲座将通过与路易斯安那州立大学HHMI计划的合作提供。此外，PI将指导路易斯安那州的三名中学教师攻读科学教育工作者的自然科学硕士学位。这些教师将帮助PI为科学教师制定专业发展计划。将组织以社区为基础的活动，以提高科学意识，并提醒学生和公众注意科学机会。

Intellectual Merit: The PI proposes a high-resolution paleoenvironmental study of pollen, spore, fresh-water algae, and dinoflagellate cyst assemblages to investigate the palynological record of sudden warming events in the Antarctic as recorded by the ANDRILL SMS drill core and terrestrial sections. These data will be used to derive causal mechanisms for these rapid climate events. Terrestrial samples will be obtained at various altitudes in the Dry Valleys region. The pollen and spores will provide data on atmospheric conditions, while the algae will provide data on sea-surface conditions. These data will help identify the triggers for sudden climatic shifts. If they are caused by changes in oceanic currents, a signal will be visible in the dinocyst assemblages first as currents influence their distribution. Conversely, if these shifts are triggered by atmospheric factors, then the shifts will first affect plants and be visible in the pollen record.Broader impacts: The PI proposes a suite of activities to bring field-based climate change research to a broader audience. The PI will advise a diverse group of students and educators. The palynological data collected as part of this research will be utilized, in part, to develop new lectures on Antarctic palynology and these new lectures will be made available via a collaboration with the LSU HHMI program. In addition, the PI will direct three Louisiana middle-school teachers as they pursue a Masters of Natural Science for science educators. These teachers will help the PI develop a professional development program for science teachers. Community-based activities will be organized to raise science awareness and alert students and the public of opportunities in science.