Oceanography of the past

by Flor Vermassen

Friday 2 Feb 2024, 16:00 → 17:30 Europe/Stockholm

Albano 3: 6203 - Floor 6 Large Lunch Room (44 seats) (Albano Building 3)

The systematic study of our oceans along the with first instrumental observations started around 150 years ago. To study changes that occurred before this, and to better understand the long-term functioning of the ocean, geological records such as ocean sediments are investigated. This field of research is called ‘paleoceanography’. In this talk, I will introduce some of the basic concepts, methods, and research questions that underlie paleoceanography. In particular, I will focus on patterns of ocean (and climate) variability of the past 2.5 million years – the time period when the growth and decay of large ice sheets dictated Earth’s climate. Finally, I will discuss some case studies that highlight the importance of warm ocean currents and their influence on the melting of ice in the Arctic.