Analysis of an ancient global warming event, the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum, under examination from ODP Holes 113-689B and 113-690B

Spatiotemporal patterns of carbonate dissolution provide a critical constraint on carbon input during an ancient (~55.5 Ma) global warming event known as the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM), yet the magnitude of lysocline shoaling in the Southern Ocean is poorly constrained due to limited spatial coverage in the circum-Antarctic region. This shortcoming is partially addressed by comparing patterns of carbonate sedimentation at the Site 690 PETM reference section to those herein reconstructed for nearby Site 689. Biochemostratigraphic correlation of the two records reveals that the first ~36 ka of the carbon isotope excursion (CIE) signaling PETM conditions is captured by the Site 689 section, while the remainder of the CIE interval and nearly all of the CIE recovery are missing due to a coring gap. A relatively expanded stratigraphy and higher carbonate content at mid-bathyal Site 689 indicate that dissolution was less severe than at Site 690. Thus, the bathymetric transect delimited by these two PETM records indicates that the lysocline shoaled above Site 689 (~1,100 m) while the calcite compensation depth remained below Site 690 (~1,900 m) in the Weddell Sea region. The ensuing recovery of carbonate sedimentation conforms to a bathymetric trend best explained by gradual lysocline deepening as negative feedback mechanisms neutralized ocean acidification. Further, biochemostratigraphic evidence indicates the tail end of the CIE recovery interval at both sites has been truncated by a hiatus most likely related to vigorous production and advection of intermediate waters.

Analysis of Pacific oyster larval proteome and its response to high-CO2

Most calcifying organisms show depressed metabolic, growth and calcification rates as symptoms to high-CO(2) due to ocean acidification (OA) process. Analysis of the global expression pattern of proteins (proteome analysis) represents a powerful tool to examine these physiological symptoms at molecular level, but its applications are inadequate. To address this knowledge gap, 2-DE coupled with mass spectrophotometer was used to compare the global protein expression pattern of oyster larvae exposed to ambient and to high-CO(2). Exposure to OA resulted in marked reduction of global protein expression with a decrease or loss of 71 proteins (18% of the expressed proteins in control), indicating a wide-spread depression of metabolic genes expression in larvae reared under OA. This is, to our knowledge, the first proteome analysis that provides insights into the link between physiological suppression and protein down-regulation under OA in oyster larvae.

Pollen analysis and age model of sediment core GIK-15856-2

Pollen and spores from a deep-sea core located west of the Niger Delta record an uninterrupted area of lowland rain forest in West Africa from Guinea to Cameroon during the last Interglacial and the early Holocene. During other periods of the last 150 ka, a savanna corridor between the western - Guinean - and the eastern - Congolian - part of the African lowland rain forest existed. This so-called Dahomey Gap had its largest extension during Glacial Stages 6, 4, 3, and 2. Reduced surface salinity in the eastern Gulf of Guinea as recorded by dinoflagellate cysts indicates sufficient precipitation for extensive forest growth during Stages 5 and 1. The large modern extension of dry forest and savanna in West Africa cannot be solely explained by climatic factors. Mangrove expansion in and west of the Niger Delta was largest during the phases of sea-level rise of Stages 5 and 1. During Stages 6, 4, 3, and 2, shelf areas were exposed and the area of the mangrove swamps was minimal.

Table 6 Generalised properties of Utsira caprocks, based on analysis of cuttings (page 79)

Executive Summary: Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) is one option for mitigating atmospheric emissions of carbon dioxide and thereby contributes in actions for stabilization of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. The Bellona Foundation is striving to achieve wide implementation of carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and storage both in Norway and internationally. Bellona considers CCS as the only viable large scale option to close the gap between energy production and demand in an environmentally sound way, thereby ensuring that climate changes and acidification of the oceans due to increased CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere will be stabilised. ff

Age analysis and stratigraphical position from different Holes of IODP Expedition 310

The main motivation for Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 310 to the Tahitian Archipelago was the assumption that the last deglacial sea-level rise is precisely recorded in the coral reefs of this far-field site. The Tahitian deglacial succession typically consists of coral framework subsequently encrusted by coralline algae and microbialites. The high abundance of microbialites is uncommon for shallow-water coral reefs, and the environmental conditions favouring their development are still poorly understood. Microbioerosion patterns in the three principal framework components (corals, coralline algae, microbialites) are studied with respect to relative light availability during coral growth and subsequent encrustation, in order to constrain the palaeobathymetry and the relative timing of the encrustation. Unexpectedly for a tropical, light-flooded setting, ichnotaxa typical for the deep-euphotic to dysphotic zone dominate. The key ichnotaxa for the shallow euphotic zone are scarce in the analysed sample set, and are restricted tothe baseof thedeglacial succession, thus reflecting thedeglacial sea-level rise. At the base of the deglacial reef succession, the ichnocoenoses present in the corals indicate shallower bathymetries than those in the encrusting microbialites. This is in agreement with radiocarbon data that indicate a time gap of more than 600 years between coral death and microbialite formation. At the top of the deglacial reef succession, in contrast, the microbioerosion patterns in the three framework components indicate a uniform palaeobathymetry, and radiocarbon ages imply that encrustation took place shortly after coral demise. An enigma arises from the fact that the ichnocoenoses imply photic conditions that appear very deep for zooxanthellate coral growth. During the deglacial sea-level rise increased nutrients and fluvial influx may have led to (seasonal?) eutrophication, condensing the photic zonation. This would have exerted stress on the coral ecosystem and played a significant role in initiating microbialite development.