P2C2: Paleo-synoptic Changes as Recorded in the Mineral Dust in the Guliya Ice Cap, Northwestern Tibetan Plateau

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This project seeks to develop an aeolian dust record for the Northern hemisphere derived from an ice core (16-125 thousand years) from the Guliya ice cap in Northwest Tibet. Specifically, the researchers will characterize the radiogenic, geochemical and morphological properties of mineral particles preserved in the ice core. These data will be compared with climate model simulations under different climate scenarios to understand the paleo-dust record sensitivity to climate variability on orbital scales and during abrupt climate events. The proposed research goals are to 1) document the variability of the nature of the aeolian dust throughout late Pleistocene, and 2) characterize the mechanisms through which the dust emission sources, and transport are linked to westerlies and the Indian Summer Monsoon systems (ISM). This project will provide new knowledge on the regional lithosphere-atmosphere-cryosphere interactions over the late Pleistocene and the Holocene in Northwest Tibet.The potential Broader Impacts include the development of a new aeolian dust record from the Tibetan Plateau that will fill a geographic data gap in mid-latitude dust source variability and strengthen ice core geochemistry and paleoclimatology research disciplines. Other Broader impacts comprise several outreach activities including: 1) a video segment of ~5 minutes to highlight the inception of the research question, deployment of laboratory techniques, and methods; 2) A classroom lesson for use in high school and undergraduate geosciences classrooms; 3) a presentation to discriminate the science and findings of this project to the broader community through the Columbus Science Pub outreach program.In addition, the project will support the training of one graduate student and an early career female scientist (Post-doctoral researcher) in ice core paleoclimatology, mineralogy and modeling.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.