Collaborative Research: Aquatic Paleoclimate Proxy Records of Tropical Temperature Variability

该奖项支持研究，以检验古地膜脂质生物标记物TEX86作为新的古气候指标的稳健性。具体地说，研究人员将检查：1)哪些环境因素可能会掩盖替代物中的表观温度信号；2)克伦考古细菌生活在水柱中的深度有多深。如果它们生活在水柱深处，它们如何可能反映地表水温；以及3)这些化合物是如何被埋在海洋和湖泊沉积物中的。如果成功，这项高风险的研究将有助于创建一种新的替代测量方法，当应用于气候随时间推移和变化的自然环境的分析时，可能会产生广泛的影响。

The award supports research to examine the robustness of the archeal membrane lipid biomarker, TEX86, as a new paleoclimate proxy. Specifically, the researchers will examine: 1) what environmental factors could potentially mask the apparent temperature signal in the proxy; 2) at what depth do the Crenarchaeota bacteria live within the water column. If they live deep in the water column, how can they possibly reflect a surface water temperature; and 3) how these compounds get buried in marine and lacustrine sediments. If successful, this highly risky research will help create a new proxy measurement that could have broad impact when applied to the analysis of climate over time and varying natural environments.