Adele Westgård » Members
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Adele Westgård
PhD project title:
Evolution of Surface Ocean hydrography in the Nordic Seas during warmer-than-present time periods: proxy development and applications.
PhD project description:
In my project, I aim to develop methods for reconstructing surface ocean conditions and ocean-cryosphere interactions during past warmer-than-present periods in the Arctic. To do so, I am culturing the polar, planktic foraminifera (single-celled protist) Neogloboquadrina pachyderma under independently variable conditions and investigating the relationships between ocean conditions (salinity, temperature, pH, etc.) and the chemical composition of the foraminifera shells. I will then apply these methods (and others) to sedimentary records from the Arctic Ocean and Nordic Seas to reconstruct past conditions of these regions. A secondary objective is to observe the foraminifera in the laboratory, including their tolerance and response to changing water conditions such as increased temperature and lower pH, which has implications for the ongoing climate change. If successful, will the new methods provide a powerful toolbox for reconstructing surface ocean hydrography and circulation at high latitudes.
Start date: May 3, 2021
Planned submission date: spring 2025
Supervisors:
Mohamed M. Ezat (UiT, Tromsø, Norway)
Julie Meilland (Marum, Bremen, Germany)
Gavin L. Foster (University of Southhampton, UK)