Palaeoclimatology is a field of particular importance presently, largely due to the extensive, and somewhat heated, discussions about climate change currently going on in many circles. Many arguments about anthropogenic climate change are founded (on both sides) on unreliable facts and anecdotes. For all the emotional impact of a lonely polar bear on a tiny, melting iceberg it gives us very little useful data about the extent and nature of climate change.
Therefore, the procurement of extensive, accurate data on past temperatures and atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations is the key to increasing our understanding of how humanity is affecting the earth system, compared to historical ‘natural’ variations. By acquiring a series of accurate, worldwide data we can assess the current changes and the ‘hockey-stick’ graph within the context of the planet’s geological history. Furthermore, we can assess the importance of other temperature variations such as the ‘Little Ice Age’ and the ‘Medieval Warm Period’, allowing a balanced, rational discussion based on hard evidence rather than emotive language and images. Palaeoclimatology also has applications related to other facets of Earth Sciences; accurate information about Earth’s palaeoclimate is important to fields as diverse as Palaeobiology, Glaciology and even Astrophysics (particularly the study of stellar evolution) – fields that are rather less encumbered by politics.

Myself and another student got picked (presumably by random chance, since I can’t imagine that statement was too impressive given I wrote it during a structure lecture) to apply for the bursaries. We recently heard back, and got the go ahead. I’m thrilled by the whole thing, and really looking forward to getting started in a couple of weeks.

For the project itself I’ll be working with Dr. Bendle and Heiko Moossen (one of the departments PhD students) analysing samples of Zooplankton collected from the Arctic by Dr. Bendle, looking at various biomarkers to gather information about their diets (what algae they eat) and examining whether these measurements can give us an indication of climate. This all feeds into Heiko’s PhD which is looking at Palaeoclimate proxies (such as biomarkers) in Arctic and Nordic shelf areas.

Most of which is well over my head at this point. I’m currently trying to get a bunch of reading done to wrap my head around the project as a whole, including an excellent book on biomarkers – Echoes of Life.

Of course, the other great part of this project is that I get to work in the newest lab in the University – the Glasgow Molecular Organic Geochemistry Lab in the deepest darkest basement of the Gregory Building. I start the project on the 22nd of June; no doubt you’ll hear more from me about this topic between now and then.