Varve Working Group Online Seminar Series #15
Description
The Varves Working Group (VWG) was active under the PAGES umbrella from 2009 to 2015 and is now an endorsed group.
The VWG launched a monthly seminar series to talk about exciting research that would be of interest to the varve community. Early-career scientists are especially encouraged to participate.
Details will be sent to the VWG mailing list before the seminar. Sign up to the mailing here: varves.pages
lists.unibe.ch
Seminar details
Speaker: Dr. Igor Obreht (MARUM - University of Bremen)
Title: Reading the fine print: Mass Spectrometry Imaging on sediments as a novel tool for paleoclimate reconstruction
Date: 6 June 2024
Time: 14:00 GMT
Join us on Zoom at : https://gfz-potsdam-de.zoom-x.de/j/66544345449? pwd=aXBta0ttcHZDY2N3R3BzaGNMUVQwUT09
Molecular fossils (biomarkers) comprise compounds initially formed in aquatic or terrestrial environments, subsequently deposited and preserved within sedimentary layers. Many biomarkers act as precise indicators for specific environmental conditions or processes. Utilizing these molecular fossils for paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental reconstructions is crucial for understanding the natural fluctuations of the climate system. Particularly, finely laminated and varved sedimentary archives offer an ideal setting to investigate paleoclimate evolution with seasonal to interannual resolution.
However, conventional extraction-based analyses are severely limited to centimetersized sample sizes, typically integrating decades or centuries into a single data point, thereby hindering the resolution of biomarker signals. To address this challenge, we present the application of mass spectrometry imaging (MSI), a recently introduced technique in paleoclimatology, for analyzing molecular fossils in varved and finely laminated sedimentary archives at ultra-high spatial, and consequently temporal, resolution. We will detail the methodological pipeline we have developed for sample preparation, mass spectrometric analysis, and data evaluation. Additionally, we will showcase the application of MSI on sediments from the instrumental era, compare it with observations, explore paleoclimate reconstructions during abrupt climate transitions, and discuss the potential of MSI to generate long, continuous paleoclimate proxy records.
More information
If you would like to find out more, or to enquire about giving a seminar on your research, please contact a member of the coordinating committee: https://pastglobalchanges.org/science/end-aff/varves-wg/people