Trends, rhythms and events in East African climate: statistical analysis of the paleoclimare records of the long sediment cores of the Chew Bahir basin

作为icdp资助的古人类遗址和古湖泊钻探项目（HSPDP）的一部分，该提案寻求资金来统计分析Chew Bahir盆地的长（~278米）沉积物记录。该项目的目的是(1)为沉积物岩心建立一个稳健的年龄-深度模型，(2)将Chew Bahir记录与HSPDP内外的其他记录相关联，(3)检测流域环境记录中的趋势、节奏和事件，以及(4)与其他HSPDP站点和HSPDP外的气候记录相比，确定时间序列中反复出现的、具有特征的气候转变类型。这项任务由一名博士生负责，他将在波茨坦大学和波茨坦气候影响研究所的数学地球科学领域的专家团队中工作，但也将从更大的Chew Bahir和HSPDP项目中受益。博士生将被培养成对数学方法有明显兴趣的地球科学家，将使用线性技术建立年龄模型并探测气候变化和周期。他/她应该了解盆地的沉积和代用物形成过程，并且应该具备扎实的统计学和编程知识。他/她将使用非线性方法来检测数据中更复杂或隐藏的过程。该项目的结果将有助于阐明更新世期间气候变化（这些变化的时间、性质、突发性、幅度和同步性，特别是冰期和间冰期之间的转变）在哺乳动物（包括人类类群）进化中的作用。

This proposal seeks funding to statistically analyze the long (~278 m) sediment record of the Chew Bahir basin, as part of the ICDP-funded Hominin Sites and Paleolakes Drilling Project (HSPDP). The aim of the project is (1) to establish a robust age-depth model for the sediment cores, (2) to correlate the Chew Bahir record with other records within and outside HSPDP, (3) to detect trends, rhythms and events in the environmental record of the basin, and (4) identify recurrent, characteristic types of climate transitions in the time series, as compared with the ones of the other HSPDP sites and climate records outside HSPDP. This task is handled by a doctoral student, who will work in a team of specialists in the field of mathematical geosciences at the University of Potsdam and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, but will benefit also from the larger Chew Bahir and HSPDP projects. The Doctoral Student, expected to be trained as an earth scientists with a pronounced fascination with mathematical methods, will use linear techniques to establish an age model and to detect climate shifts and cycles. He/she is expected to understand the sediment and proxy forming processes in the basin as well as he/she is expected to be equipped with solid knowledge in statistics and programming. He/she will use nonlinear methods to detect more complex or hidden processes within the data. The results of the project will help to illuminate the role of climate change (timing, nature, abruptness, magnitude, and synchronicity of these shifts especially the transitions between Glacial and Interglacial) in the evolution of mammalian (including hominin taxa) during the Pleistocene.