Synchronising marine and ice-core records using tephrochronology (SMART)
Lead Research Organisation:
Swansea University
Department Name: School of the Environment and Society
Abstract
The Eemian interglacial serves as the most recent analogue for understanding the natural operation of the climate system during the current interglacial. The nature and pattern of the full deglaciation cycle and the return into a glaciated Earth are, however, poorly understood due to the inherent difficulties that arise in the comparison of palaeorecords from different natural archives that span this interval. Indeed, it seems that abrupt and rapid climatic oscillations characterised this period. Yet, due to the chronological problems, an understanding of the climatic dynamics and forcing mechanisms driving these rapid events is currently unattainable. This project will employ a powerful approach in which volcanic ash layers are used to synchronise and directly compare ice-core and marine sequences. A framework of volcanic events will be established from a new Greenland ice-core that will underpin chronological models and will enable an unprecedented insight into the differing response of the atmospheric and marine systems during rapid climatic events between 140,000-70,000 years BP.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Siwan Davies (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Abbott P
(2012)
Volcanism and the Greenland ice-cores: the tephra record
in Earth-Science Reviews
Abbott P
(2011)
Identification of cryptotephra horizons in a North East Atlantic marine record spanning marine isotope stages 4 and 5a (~60,000-82,000 a b2k)
in Quaternary International
Abbott P
(2014)
Re-evaluation and extension of the Marine Isotope Stage 5 tephrostratigraphy of the Faroe Islands region: The cryptotephra record
in Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
ABBOTT P
(2013)
Cryptotephrochronology of the Eemian and the last interglacial-glacial transition in the North East Atlantic
in Journal of Quaternary Science
Abbott P
(2018)
Tracing marine cryptotephras in the North Atlantic during the last glacial period: Improving the North Atlantic marine tephrostratigraphic framework
in Quaternary Science Reviews
Austin W
(2014)
Marine tephrochronology: an introduction to tracing time in the ocean
in Geological Society, London, Special Publications
Davies S
(2014)
A North Atlantic tephrostratigraphical framework for 130-60 ka b2k: new tephra discoveries, marine-based correlations, and future challenges
in Quaternary Science Reviews
Davies S
(2012)
Integrating the INTIMATE records using tephrochronology: rising to the challenge
in Quaternary Science Reviews
| Description | The main discoveries of this project are as follows: 1. A detailed record of volcanic eruptions between 130,000 and 60,000 years ago has been constructed based on ash deposits found in the Greenland ice-core records and North Atlantic sedimentary records. Thirty-five separate eruptions have been identified with the majority being new, previously unknown volcanic events which add to the volcanic history of Iceland during a poorly studied period. Several of the ash layers identified contained a very low concentration of particles and as such were invisible to the naked eye, demonstrating the wider distribution of ash clouds and the importance of searching for microscopic ash layers. These layers have the potential of acting as tie-lines between the ice and oceanic realms to compare the climatic response of the atmospheric and marine systems during the last interglacial and transition into the last glacial period. 2. Ice from the last interglacial period was recovered from the NEEM ice-core drilling project. This demonstrated that the last interglacial was 8 ± 4 degC warmer than present and that there was only a modest ice sheet response to these warmer temperatures. 3. A new protocol has been developed to analyse individual grains by using Laser-Ablation ICP-MS which provides 30 additional trace and rare earth elements. This provides geochemical characterisations for each ash deposit which is crucial for identifying common deposits between different geological records. 4. A new sampling strategy for ash layer detection in ice-core records was trialled (via continuous flow analysis). Mixed results were obtained and future work requires further modification of this strategy. |
| Exploitation Route | Our findings are most relevant to those working in the Environment sector. Within academic research, these findings provide new possibilities for palaeoclimatologists to improve the dating and integration of different palaeoclimate archives spanning the last interglacial and glacial inception. The ash layers have the potential to constrain ice sheet response and regional climate development during this time-interval. The findings also provide new insight into volcanic frequency and ash cloud hazards allowing new investigations of the link between volcanism and climate changes. |
| Sectors | Environment |
| Description | The findings form key focus for several public engagement and dissemination activities e.g. TV documentary and other media appearances, general public talks and outreach events. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2011 |
| Sector | Environment |
| Impact Types | Cultural Societal |
| Description | NERC Consortium grants |
| Amount | £2,502,113 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | NE/J007943/1 |
| Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2012 |
| End | 09/2017 |
| Description | NERC Small grant |
| Amount | £51,767 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | NE/H012273/1 |
| Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2010 |
| End | 07/2011 |
| Description | Philip Leverhulme Prize |
| Amount | £70,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | The Leverhulme Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2012 |
| End | 10/2015 |
| Description | Tephra constraints on rapid climatic events (TRACE) |
| Amount | € 1,400,000 (EUR) |
| Funding ID | 259253 |
| Organisation | European Commission |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | 08/2011 |
| End | 08/2016 |
| Description | Ash Ice Mud |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Short film on research work, uploaded to youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii9O-A39NtU. The short film has attracted over 1300 views and was shown at a Polar Film Festival at the University of Loughborough. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| URL | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii9O-A39NtU |
| Description | Eira, eira ymhob man.....ond dim dyn eira |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Magazine for Y Wawr (Magazine for Merched y Wawr: Welsh Women's Institute). Article was written in Welsh. After the publication of this article, I have since been invited to give talks at different Merched y Wawr groups. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010 |
| Description | Invited outreach lectures |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Invited lectures to secondary and junior schools and general public groups e.g. National Eisteddfod of Wales 2006 (Swansea), 2010 Blaenau Gwent and the Heads of the Valleys (Main Science Lecture), Probus, U3A, Merched y Wawr, Geographical Association, Cylch Wyddonol Caerdydd (Cardiff Scientific Association), Women's Institute, Capel Penarth, Cardiff, Open University Geological Society National Symposium, Capel Bethlehem, Trefdraeth, Clwb Cinio Dinas (Sir Benfro), Abertawe, Hwlffordd, Swansea Science Cafe, Royal Institution of South Wales, Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol. Outreach talks have been presented in English and Welsh Each outreach talk I have presented has lead to subsequent invitations to different groups. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014 |
| Description | Media appearances |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Several TV and radio contributions mainly linked to the fieldwork component of the project to Greenland including BBC Wales and Radio Cymru news items, Wedi 7 (Welsh TV magazine programme), Radio Wales Science Café, and the Welsh version of Desert Island Discs (Beti a'i phobol). My research work has also been the focus of a S4C documentary Dibendraw aired in January 2014. Media appearances have been conducted in English and Welsh. Each media appearance has lead to other invitations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014 |
| Description | Presenting TV documentary on climate change |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | I am currently presenting a 5-part documentary on climate change for S4C (Welsh TV channel). This will be broadcast in the spring of 2016 and includes filming in Greenland (linked to my ice-core research) and Maldives. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Volcanic secrets in the ice |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | NERC Planet Earth article Public dissemination of research work. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010 |