Paleoceanography & Paleoclimatology

Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology research at UCSB focuses on utilizing past archives of climate change on timescales of hundreds to millions of years to understand the past, present and future evolution of the Earth System. These archives include ocean sediments, coral reefs, cave deposits (speleothems) and other terrestrial deposits. Research approaches include geochemical (e.g., stable and radiogenic isotopes, trace elements, organic biomarkers), faunal and sedimentary property changes, and statistical analysis. Faculty members in the department have pioneered techniques such as Mg/Ca paleothermometry, the stacking of individual records to derive benchmark indicators of climate change, and the elucidation of past changes in the monsoon systems. An overarching theme of our research is to harness the past response of climate to improve future climate projections.