Were abrupt changes in the Precambrian global carbon cycle the trigger for animal appearance and radiation on Earth? The origin of complex life and the properties that allow that life to be sustained on this planet are recorded within the geologic record. This project will reveal the role that severe perturbations of the global carbon cycle and climate had in triggering the step-wise change to animal life after billions of years of only single cell organisms.
Palaeoclimate reconstructions from the isotopic signatures of fossilised leaf waxes. This project develops a method for using the chemical signature of fossilised leaf waxes to reconstruct hydrologic change in south-eastern Australia during the Holocene (last 10,000 years) and Eocene (56-34 million years ago). Understanding climate in the geologic past is essential for testing models and projecting future climate with rising carbon dioxide.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100229
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$160,000.00
Summary
Time-of-flight mass spectrometer for analysis of complex mixtures in oils, ancient rocks, recent sediments, natural products and atmospheric aerosols. Research benefits will be:1. More effective remediation of petroleum spills through better understanding of degradation pathways, and ecotoxicological impact of spills.
2. Better understanding of the role of urban aerosols in human health impacts and climate change.
3. More effective development of finite petroleum resources by better understand ....Time-of-flight mass spectrometer for analysis of complex mixtures in oils, ancient rocks, recent sediments, natural products and atmospheric aerosols. Research benefits will be:1. More effective remediation of petroleum spills through better understanding of degradation pathways, and ecotoxicological impact of spills.
2. Better understanding of the role of urban aerosols in human health impacts and climate change.
3. More effective development of finite petroleum resources by better understanding of processes altering crude oil in the sub-surface.
4. Identification of natural products from algae, cyanobacteria, plants and mushrooms as new sources of pharmaceutical agents. 5. Improved knowledge of early evolution of life on Earth, helping maintain Australian scientists as world leaders in this field. 6. Greater understanding of the source and migration of petroleum in frontier areas.Read moreRead less
Deep-sea coral ocean-climate records of the last glacial and recent eras. The project aims to predict the ocean carbon dioxide sink’s long-term capacity and future trajectories of global warming and increasing carbon dioxide. This project will use geochemical proxies encoded in the skeletons of deep-sea corals in the Perth Canyon, Tasman seas, and Antarctica, in the heart of the ocean-climate system, to reveal continuous long-term records of environmental change at annual-decadal resolution for ....Deep-sea coral ocean-climate records of the last glacial and recent eras. The project aims to predict the ocean carbon dioxide sink’s long-term capacity and future trajectories of global warming and increasing carbon dioxide. This project will use geochemical proxies encoded in the skeletons of deep-sea corals in the Perth Canyon, Tasman seas, and Antarctica, in the heart of the ocean-climate system, to reveal continuous long-term records of environmental change at annual-decadal resolution for our recent past (hundreds to thousands of years) and the Last Glacial Maximum. These records are expected to provide a more accurate understanding of Earth’s long-term responses to anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions and global warming.Read moreRead less
The Australian expression of the Pliocene warm period, an analog for future greenhouse conditions. Records of the planet's response to past climate are important for predicting the future under conditions of global warming. This project will assemble one such record but, in contrast to much existing data, it emphasises the palaeoclimate of southern Australian through a time interval widely regarded as an analog for our climate in the year 2100.
Fire and rain: Drivers of deep-time ecosystem assembly in Australia. This project aims to investigate the influence of bushfires and shifting rainfall patterns on the development of Australia’s dominant ecosystems. By combining a range of novel geochemical, isotopic and palaeontological techniques, this research seeks to reveal the causes and consequences of Australia’s transformation from a forested to mainly open landscape of grassland, shrubland and savannah. The expected outcome is detailed ....Fire and rain: Drivers of deep-time ecosystem assembly in Australia. This project aims to investigate the influence of bushfires and shifting rainfall patterns on the development of Australia’s dominant ecosystems. By combining a range of novel geochemical, isotopic and palaeontological techniques, this research seeks to reveal the causes and consequences of Australia’s transformation from a forested to mainly open landscape of grassland, shrubland and savannah. The expected outcome is detailed knowledge of how changes in fire and rain shaped the ecology and evolution of plants and animals. This knowledge is key to understanding how Australian ecosystems function and to protecting their cultural, economic and environmental values, especially as climate and fire regimes continue to change into the future.Read moreRead less
High resolution warm ocean records from laminated sediment. This project will produce environmental records during ocean warming events in the geologic past to reveal processes associated with warm oceans similar to those anticipated in the coming century. New Australian technology allows investigation of sediment records at unprecedented time resolution providing insight into processes operating on societally relevant time scales of decades to centuries. This work will open an archive of climat ....High resolution warm ocean records from laminated sediment. This project will produce environmental records during ocean warming events in the geologic past to reveal processes associated with warm oceans similar to those anticipated in the coming century. New Australian technology allows investigation of sediment records at unprecedented time resolution providing insight into processes operating on societally relevant time scales of decades to centuries. This work will open an archive of climate information revealing feedback, thresholds and tipping points from past events previously inaccessible because of technical and conceptual limitations. It will provide critical inputs into models predicting future climate and to illuminate the risks and compensating feedbacks occurring with warming.
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Australian dust: its response to, and role in, climate change. Atmospheric dust plumes can affect global climate, but the impact of Australian dust on climate is poorly known even though it is a major dust source. This project will study the magnetism of dust deposits in marine sediments to understand how Australian dust influences climate in order to better predict the influence of humans on future climate.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120102504
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Old stalagmites, new techniques: South African palaeoclimate records linked to early human evolution. Caves in South Africa preserve a rich hominin (early human) fossil and archaeological record dating back over two million years. This project uses stalagmites from various South African caves to provide a new, detailed record of the palaeoclimate, forming the backdrop to the evolutionary changes that took place during this period.
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL120100050
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,079,069.00
Summary
Sea level change and climate sensitivity. This project will aim to improve understanding of climate and sea-level change on timescales relevant to longer-term planning, by characterising the relationship between past sea-level/ice-volume change and other key climate factors such as temperature and greenhouse gases, and by quantifying how rapidly sea level may adjust to climate change.