Collaborative Research: Examining the Sensitivity of Sulfate Oxygen Isotopes in Ice Cores to Changes in Climate and Chemistry on Glacial-Interglacial Timescales

为验证冰芯中硫酸盐的氧同位素组成可以提供关于过去气候的大气氧化剂浓度的定量信息的假设提供了资金。具体来说，研究人员将使用全球化学运输模型GEOS-Chem进行一系列模型模拟，以检查硫酸盐氧同位素对气候条件变化和冰期-间冰期大气氧化剂浓度的全球敏感性。研究人员将通过由一般环流模型GISS ModelE和全球植被模型BIOME4-TG计算的气象学来驱动他们的化学模型。这项研究的总体科学目标是利用冰芯分析硫酸盐氧同位素在冰期-间冰期时间尺度上对氧化剂浓度和气候变化的敏感性。成功地校准古OH浓度可能有助于限制过去的物种预算，如甲烷（CH4），其寿命取决于OH汇反应的大小。因此，这可能有助于提高科学界对甲烷在气候中的作用以及大气中氧化剂随时间的相互作用的理解。

Funding is provided to test the hypothesis that the oxygen isotopic composition of sulfate in ice cores can provide quantitative information on atmospheric oxidant concentrations for past climates. Specifically, the researchers will use a global chemical transport model, GEOS-Chem, to perform a series of model simulations to examine the global sensitivity of sulfate oxygen isotopes to changing climatic conditions and atmospheric oxidant concentrations on glacial-interglacial timescales. The researchers will drive their chemistry model by meteorology calculated by a general circulation model, GISS ModelE, and a global vegetation model, BIOME4-TG. The overall scientific goal of the research is to conduct an analysis, using ice cores, of the sensitivity of sulfate oxygen isotopes to changes in oxidant concentrations and climate on glacial-interglacial timescales. Successful calibration of paleo OH concentrations might aid efforts to constrain the past budgets of species such as methane (CH4) whose lifetimes depend on the magnitude of the OH sink reaction. This could consequently help to improve the wider science community's understanding of methane in climate as well as the interaction of oxidants in the atmosphere over time.