Participation in IODP Expedition 397 (Iberian Paleoclimate)

IODP Expedition 397 will take place on the SW Iberian margin off Portugal later this year (06 Oct - 06 Dec 2022) where rapidly accumulating sediments preserve a high-fidelity record of past climate change. This proposal requests funding (travel and salary) for Prof. D. Hodell to participate in IODP Expedition 397 (Iberian Paleoclimate) as co-chief scientist and for postcruise research during the sample moratorium period following the expedition. Cores from all holes at two of the proposed sites (SHACK-04C and -11B) will be analyzed by core scanning X-ray fluorescence (XRF) at 1 cm spatial resolution. This is a non-destructive method that semi-quantitatively estimates elemental ratios of sediment composition from the split core surface. These data will be used to accurately correlate from hole-to-hole and construct a composite spliced section that is needed to ensure a complete stratigraphic section. We will also produce a low-resolution oxygen isotope record and construct and orbitally-tuned age model so scientists working on these sites can place their data into a robust stratigraphic and chronologic framework. The proposed research will further the overall objective of Expedition 397 which is to provide present and future generations of paleoceanographers with the raw material needed to reconstruct the North Atlantic climate at high temporal resolution for the last 5 million years.