Early Grant in Exploratory Research: Acquisition and analysis of sediment cores from the eastern tropical Indian Ocean

热带印度洋的动力学是预测气候系统许多大尺度方面的一个主要因素。原则上，南亚季风的强度、整个热带地区年际-百年变化的海洋间联系以及温室气体引起的海洋上层变暖的表现都必须受到热带温跃层的影响或通过热带温跃层来调节。尽管它的重要性，有一些一阶的动力学和可变性在这个系统中的问题，仍然是unanswered.这项工作的主要目标是收集和分析沉积物芯从采样不足的区域，最终的目标是解决中期到上部的热带印度洋动力学在冰河时代的周期。该项目利用了一次学生培训考察，主要侧重于巽他弧的地球物理测绘，但也有充足的时间对附近地区进行测量和重力取芯。后续工作将包括对这些沉积岩芯进行实验室分析，以确定地层背景，并测试新方法的潜力（例如，该项目的主要广泛影响在于为学生提供了在海洋学样本和数据收集方面进行启发式培训的绝佳机会。学生将体验沉积物取芯过程从开始到结束-从巡航计划的战略设计，通过重力取芯的船上执行，并最终到科学应用。取芯和调查的结果还将为研究长期热带气候变化的更大的全流域倡议提供基础。

The dynamics of the tropical Indian Ocean represent a major wildcard in the projections of many large-scale aspects of the climate system. In principle, the strength of the South Asian monsoon, the inter-ocean linkages of interannual-centennial variability throughout the tropics, and the expression of greenhouse gas induced warming of the upper ocean must all be influenced by, or mediated through the tropical thermocline. Despite its importance, there are a number of first order questions about the dynamics and variability in this system that remain unanswered.The primary objective of this work is to collect and analyze sediment cores from an under-sampled region with the eventual goal of resolving the mid- to upper tropical Indian Ocean dynamics over ice age cycles. The project takes advantage of a student training expedition that will focus primarily on geophysical mapping of the Sunda Arc, but also allow ample time for surveying and gravity coring of nearby areas. Follow-on work will include laboratory-based analysis of the those sediment cores to establishstratigraphic context and to test the potential of new methods (e.g., individual foraminiferal analysis) for addressing the overall objectives of the project.The primary broader impact of this project lies in the exceptional opportunity for heuristic student training in oceanographic sample and data collection. Students will experience the sediment coring process from start to finish--from the strategic design of the cruise plan, through the shipboard execution of gravity coring, and ultimately to the scientific applications. The outcomes of the coring and surveys will also provide the basis for larger basin-wide initiatives to study long-timescale tropical climate change.