Paleoceanography and Climate Group Overview |
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Enlarge ImageAstrangia poculata, seen here with polyps extended, is a unique cold water coral that occurs in Woods Hole with (brown) and without (white) symbiotic algae. Both warm and cold-water corals are used at WHOI to research past ocean climate, past ocean circulation changes, and past sea levels. We are also using Astrangia poculata colonies in culture experiments to provide insights into coral biomineralization processes and the effects of ocean acidification on calcification. (photo by Terry Rioux)
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| Overview
How has Earth’s climate varied in the past, and why?
How have
earth surface temperature, the hydrologic cycle, and global
biogeochemical cycles changed as part of this climate variability?
How can we apply our knowledge of past climate variability to our understanding of the present and future climate changes?
What
is the ocean’s role in natural climate change, and how are the oceans
likely to respond to future changes in Earth’s climate, both natural
and anthropogenic?
The thirty-plus members of the Paleoceanography and Climate Group at WHOI use nature archives (e.g., sediment cores, corals, glacial ice), contemporary observations, and state-of-the-art analytical tools (e.g., global climate models) to understand relationships between the physical ocean-land-atmosphere-cryosphere system and the circulation, biology, and chemistry of the oceans. We investigate these interactions on a wide range of temporal and spatial scales, including the reconstruction of the timing, magnitude, and causes of past changes within the global climate system.
To find our more about who we are and what we do, follow our People and Research links on the left.
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