RII Track-4: Establishing Baseline Critical Zone Conditions in Mississippi Prior to the Onset of Paleocene-Eocene Hyperthermals

预测未来全球气候变化对陆地生态系统的影响往往依赖于地质记录中的古代气候数据。 这些数据对于提供无法从历史记录中获得的长时间跨度的信息特别有用。 目前全球气温上升速度和大气温室气体浓度的最佳古代类似物是被称为高温的变暖事件，其中一些发生在5500万至5200万年前。 然而，要准确地重建高温期间古代气候变化的影响和规模，需要了解极端气候发生之前的“正常”背景条件。 这项研究的目的是提供重要的信息背景条件，在古代土壤生态系统的地质岩心样品前超高温间隔在密西西比。 与此同时，首席研究员将在世界一流的核心实验室接受处理地质核心样品的培训，这将使他能够在自己的研究所继续这项重要的研究。 除了推进气候和土壤科学，这项研究将有助于国内繁荣，通过培训学生执行的技能，是在美国雇主谁依赖地质取芯与钻井（石油天然&气和地下水行业）的需求。这项奖学金将使PI和研究生助理作出两个扩展访问大陆科学钻探协调办公室（CSDCO），一个世界级的，NSF资助的地质核心实验室来自密西西比的现有岩心将被运送到CSDCO并用于训练，同时生成多个数据集，这些数据集将满足以下研究目标：1）表征古新世早期古土壤和2）相关相，以及3）改善这些沉积物内的年代地层控制。 这项研究旨在建立基线的物理，化学和生物方面的地球的关键区之前，通常被用作模拟预测的气候变化的高温。这将有助于更精确地评估陆地系统中气候驱动变化的幅度。 培训将由CSDCO主任监督，他将确保实现以下培训目标：1）获得岩心正确存档存储技术的知识，2）学习岩心取样的有效标准化工作流程，3）精通14种新的岩心分析方法和相关数据解释，4）熟悉独立安排合同服务的后勤工作，以钻探未来的岩心样品，以维持PI的研究后研究计划。 PI新学到的技能将很容易转移到他在密西西比大学的研究实验室。 此外，他对气候变化的研究视角将使他能够为国家碳排放政策提供建议，以减轻未来大气CO2水平增加的有害影响。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Predicting impacts of future global climate change on terrestrial ecosystems often relies on ancient climate data from the geologic record. Such data are particularly useful for providing information over long time spans that are not possible to obtain from historical records. The best ancient analogs for the current rates of rising global temperatures and atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations are warming episodes known as hyperthermals, a number of which occurred between 55 and 52 million years ago. Accurately reconstructing the impacts and magnitude of ancient climate change during hyperthermals, however, requires knowledge of the "normal" background conditions before the climate extremes occurred. The goal of this research is to provide crucial information about background conditions in ancient soil ecosystems from geological cores that sample pre-hyperthermal intervals in Mississippi. At the same time, the principle investigator will receive training on processing geologic core samples at a world-class core laboratory that will enable him to continue this important research at his home institution. In addition to advancing climate and soil science, this research will contribute to domestic prosperity by training students to perform the skills that are in demand by US employers who rely on geological coring associated with well drilling (oil & gas and groundwater industries).This fellowship will enable the PI and a graduate assistant to make two extended visits to the Continental Scientific Drilling Coordination Office (CSDCO), a world-class, NSF-funded geological core lab. Existing core from Mississippi will be transported to the CSDCO and used for training, while generating multiple datasets that will satisfy the research objectives of 1) characterizing early Paleocene paleosols and 2) associated facies, and 3) improving chronostratigraphic control within these sediments. This research seeks to establish baseline physical, chemical, and biological aspects of Earth's critical zone prior to the hyperthermals that are commonly used as analogs for projected climate change. This will enable more precise evaluation of the magnitude of climate-driven changes in terrestrial systems. Training will be overseen by the CSDCO director, who will ensure that the following training objectives are met: 1) gain knowledge of proper archival storage techniques for core, 2) learn efficient, standardized workflows for sampling core, 3) become proficient at 14 new methods of core analysis and associated data interpretation, 4) become familiar with logistics of independently arranging contractual services to drill future core samples to sustain the PI's post-fellowship research program. The PI's newly learned skills will be easily transferrable to his research lab at the University of Mississippi. Furthermore, his enhanced research-based perspective on climate change will enable him to provide recommendations for national carbon emission policy to mitigate harmful impacts of future increases in atmospheric CO2 levels.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.