Project acronym COSIRIS
Project Investigating the terrestrial carbon and water cycles with a multi-tracer approach
Researcher (PI) Ulrike Seibt
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITE PIERRE ET MARIE CURIE - PARIS 6
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE8, ERC-2007-StG
Summary The aim of COSIRIS is to isolate the simultaneous fluxes of photosynthesis and respiration of the terrestrial biosphere. With explicit knowledge of the component fluxes, we will: 1) test process based models of photosynthesis and respiration, 2) determine the sensitivity of each flux to environmental conditions, and 3) derive predictions of their responses to climate change. Specifically, COSIRIS aims to build a research facility to integrate a new tracer, carbonyl sulfide (COS) with CO2, water and their stable isotopes in a multi-tracer framework as a tool to separately investigate photosynthesis and respiration. In terrestrial ecosystems, CO2 is often taken up and released at the same time. Similar to CO2, COS is taken up during photosynthesis, but unlike CO2, concurrent COS emissions are small. Parallel COS and CO2 measurements thus promise to provide estimates of gross photosynthetic fluxes – impossible to measure directly at scales larger than a few leaves. The use of COS to derive CO2 fluxes has not been verified yet, but enough is known about their parallel pathways to suggest that COS, CO2 and its isotopes can be combined to yield powerful and unique constraints on gross carbon fluxes. COSIRIS will develop the expertise necessary to achieve this goal by providing: 1. an in-depth analysis of processes involved in COS uptake by vegetation, and of potentially interfering influences such as uptake by soil, 2. a novel process-based multi-tracer modelling framework of COS, CO2, water and their isotopes at the ecosystem scale, 3. extensive datasets on concurrent fluctuations of COS, CO2, water and their isotopes in ecosystems. This innovative approach promises advances in understanding and determining gross carbon fluxes at ecosystem to continental scales, particularly their variations in response to climate anomalies.
Summary
The aim of COSIRIS is to isolate the simultaneous fluxes of photosynthesis and respiration of the terrestrial biosphere. With explicit knowledge of the component fluxes, we will: 1) test process based models of photosynthesis and respiration, 2) determine the sensitivity of each flux to environmental conditions, and 3) derive predictions of their responses to climate change. Specifically, COSIRIS aims to build a research facility to integrate a new tracer, carbonyl sulfide (COS) with CO2, water and their stable isotopes in a multi-tracer framework as a tool to separately investigate photosynthesis and respiration. In terrestrial ecosystems, CO2 is often taken up and released at the same time. Similar to CO2, COS is taken up during photosynthesis, but unlike CO2, concurrent COS emissions are small. Parallel COS and CO2 measurements thus promise to provide estimates of gross photosynthetic fluxes – impossible to measure directly at scales larger than a few leaves. The use of COS to derive CO2 fluxes has not been verified yet, but enough is known about their parallel pathways to suggest that COS, CO2 and its isotopes can be combined to yield powerful and unique constraints on gross carbon fluxes. COSIRIS will develop the expertise necessary to achieve this goal by providing: 1. an in-depth analysis of processes involved in COS uptake by vegetation, and of potentially interfering influences such as uptake by soil, 2. a novel process-based multi-tracer modelling framework of COS, CO2, water and their isotopes at the ecosystem scale, 3. extensive datasets on concurrent fluctuations of COS, CO2, water and their isotopes in ecosystems. This innovative approach promises advances in understanding and determining gross carbon fluxes at ecosystem to continental scales, particularly their variations in response to climate anomalies.
Max ERC Funding
1 822 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-07-01, End date: 2014-10-31
Project acronym DECORE
Project Deep Earth Chemistry of the Core
Researcher (PI) James Badro
Host Institution (HI) INSTITUT DE PHYSIQUE DU GLOBE DE PARIS
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE8, ERC-2007-StG
Summary Core formation represents the major chemical differentiation event on the terrestrial planets, involving the separation of a metallic liquid from the silicate matrix that subsequently evolves into the current silicate crust and mantle. The generation of the Earth’s magnetic field is ultimately tied to the segregation and crystallization of the core, and is an important factor in establishing planetary habitability. The processes that control core segregation and the depths and temperatures at which this process took place are poorly understood, however. We propose to study those processes. Specifically, the density of the core is lower than would be expected for pure iron, indicating that a light component (O, Si, S, C, H) must be present. Similarly, the Earth’s mantle is richer in iron-loving (“siderophile”) elements, e.g, V, W, Mo, Ru, Pd, etc., than would be expected based upon low pressure metal-silicate partitioning data. Solutions to these problems are hampered by the pressure range of existing experimental data, < 25 GPa, equivalent to ~700 km in the Earth. We propose to extend the accessible range of pressures and temperatures by developing protocols that link the laser-heated diamond anvil cell with analytical techniques such as (i) the NanoSIMS, (ii) the focused ion beam device (FIB), (iii) and transmission and secondary electron microscopy, allowing us to obtain quantitative data on element partitioning and chemical composition at extreme conditions relevant to the Earth’s lower mantle. The technical motivation follows from the fact that the real limitation on trace element partitioning studies at ultra high-pressure has been the grain size of the phases produced at high P-T, relative to the spatial resolution of the analytical methods available to probe the experiments; we can bridge the gap by combining state-of-the-art laser heating experiments with new nano-scale analytical techniques.
Summary
Core formation represents the major chemical differentiation event on the terrestrial planets, involving the separation of a metallic liquid from the silicate matrix that subsequently evolves into the current silicate crust and mantle. The generation of the Earth’s magnetic field is ultimately tied to the segregation and crystallization of the core, and is an important factor in establishing planetary habitability. The processes that control core segregation and the depths and temperatures at which this process took place are poorly understood, however. We propose to study those processes. Specifically, the density of the core is lower than would be expected for pure iron, indicating that a light component (O, Si, S, C, H) must be present. Similarly, the Earth’s mantle is richer in iron-loving (“siderophile”) elements, e.g, V, W, Mo, Ru, Pd, etc., than would be expected based upon low pressure metal-silicate partitioning data. Solutions to these problems are hampered by the pressure range of existing experimental data, < 25 GPa, equivalent to ~700 km in the Earth. We propose to extend the accessible range of pressures and temperatures by developing protocols that link the laser-heated diamond anvil cell with analytical techniques such as (i) the NanoSIMS, (ii) the focused ion beam device (FIB), (iii) and transmission and secondary electron microscopy, allowing us to obtain quantitative data on element partitioning and chemical composition at extreme conditions relevant to the Earth’s lower mantle. The technical motivation follows from the fact that the real limitation on trace element partitioning studies at ultra high-pressure has been the grain size of the phases produced at high P-T, relative to the spatial resolution of the analytical methods available to probe the experiments; we can bridge the gap by combining state-of-the-art laser heating experiments with new nano-scale analytical techniques.
Max ERC Funding
1 509 200 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-11-01, End date: 2013-10-31
Project acronym DEMONS
Project Deciphering Eruptions by Modeling Outputs of Natural Systems
Researcher (PI) Alain Burgisser
Host Institution (HI) CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE8, ERC-2007-StG
Summary Active volcanoes emit high temperature gases that modify the chemical composition of the Earth’s atmosphere. It is crucial to be able to quantify the contribution of volcanogenic gases to the atmosphere so that the global atmospheric effects of a major eruption can be predicted and so that volcanogenic effects can be discriminated from anthropogenic emissions. At the scale of one volcano, monitoring of gas plumes is a major tool in volcanic risk management. Volcanologists have long measured gas composition and fluxes between and during eruptions and often noted a decoupling between degassing flux and magmatic flux. In parallel, experimental petrologists are now able to calculate the gas composition that is in equilibrium with the magma at depth. However, when the calculated gas composition is compared to that measured at the surface, a general disagreement arises. As a result, it is currently impossible to determine whether a plume is generated in response to passive degassing or to magma ascent. This is a serious drawback as these processes have opposite implications for volcanic activity. Such difficulties are mainly due to the fact that the interplay between degassing mechanisms and gas chemistry has not been addressed. To improve the application of volcanic gas analyses to understanding global geochemical budgets and for the mitigation of volcanic risk, we propose to link deep magmatic processes and surface emissions. Our objective is to model the quantity and composition of volcanic gases as a function of the petrology of the magma at depth and the eruptive regime, and compare those calculations with new measures of plumes at active volcanoes. We will achieve this by modeling the chemical kinetics of degassing in volcanic conduits by using a combination of experimental, field, and numerical approaches. We anticipate building a tool linking flux and composition of gases to eruptive regime, thus opening the door to inverse modeling of volcanic gas observations.
Summary
Active volcanoes emit high temperature gases that modify the chemical composition of the Earth’s atmosphere. It is crucial to be able to quantify the contribution of volcanogenic gases to the atmosphere so that the global atmospheric effects of a major eruption can be predicted and so that volcanogenic effects can be discriminated from anthropogenic emissions. At the scale of one volcano, monitoring of gas plumes is a major tool in volcanic risk management. Volcanologists have long measured gas composition and fluxes between and during eruptions and often noted a decoupling between degassing flux and magmatic flux. In parallel, experimental petrologists are now able to calculate the gas composition that is in equilibrium with the magma at depth. However, when the calculated gas composition is compared to that measured at the surface, a general disagreement arises. As a result, it is currently impossible to determine whether a plume is generated in response to passive degassing or to magma ascent. This is a serious drawback as these processes have opposite implications for volcanic activity. Such difficulties are mainly due to the fact that the interplay between degassing mechanisms and gas chemistry has not been addressed. To improve the application of volcanic gas analyses to understanding global geochemical budgets and for the mitigation of volcanic risk, we propose to link deep magmatic processes and surface emissions. Our objective is to model the quantity and composition of volcanic gases as a function of the petrology of the magma at depth and the eruptive regime, and compare those calculations with new measures of plumes at active volcanoes. We will achieve this by modeling the chemical kinetics of degassing in volcanic conduits by using a combination of experimental, field, and numerical approaches. We anticipate building a tool linking flux and composition of gases to eruptive regime, thus opening the door to inverse modeling of volcanic gas observations.
Max ERC Funding
1 364 478 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-09-01, End date: 2012-12-31
Project acronym EARLY EARTH
Project Early Earth evolution: chemical differentiation vs. mantle mixing
Researcher (PI) Maud Boyet
Host Institution (HI) CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE8, ERC-2007-StG
Summary Although short-lived chronometers have yielded a precise chronology of the Early Earth differentiation, there is insufficient data available on the chemical fractionation related to these processes to model the Early Earth’s differentiation. 142Nd isotope data suggest that a reservoir enriched in rare earth elements (REE) has existed since 4.53 Ga, but has not been sampled since its formation. A key question is whether such a reservoir could remain hidden for more than 4.5 Gyr in the convective mantle. The first goal of this project is to test whether the REE alternatively could be stored in the core. Information on the mantle composition and the extent of chemical differentiation in the Early Earth will be also obtained by measurement of Sm-Nd, Pt-Re-Os and Lu-Hf radiogenic systems of Archean samples. This work will provide valuable information on (1) the redox state of the Early Earth, (2) the nature of the precursor material forming the Earth, the chronology of Earth's differentiation relative to the Moon formation, and (4) for reconstructing a model for terrestrial magma ocean crystallization. This proposal will provide the possibility of tackling a topic from a number of angles, using new instrumentation. New approaches and collaborations will be combined in order to constrain the most realistic model of the early Earth evolution.
Summary
Although short-lived chronometers have yielded a precise chronology of the Early Earth differentiation, there is insufficient data available on the chemical fractionation related to these processes to model the Early Earth’s differentiation. 142Nd isotope data suggest that a reservoir enriched in rare earth elements (REE) has existed since 4.53 Ga, but has not been sampled since its formation. A key question is whether such a reservoir could remain hidden for more than 4.5 Gyr in the convective mantle. The first goal of this project is to test whether the REE alternatively could be stored in the core. Information on the mantle composition and the extent of chemical differentiation in the Early Earth will be also obtained by measurement of Sm-Nd, Pt-Re-Os and Lu-Hf radiogenic systems of Archean samples. This work will provide valuable information on (1) the redox state of the Early Earth, (2) the nature of the precursor material forming the Earth, the chronology of Earth's differentiation relative to the Moon formation, and (4) for reconstructing a model for terrestrial magma ocean crystallization. This proposal will provide the possibility of tackling a topic from a number of angles, using new instrumentation. New approaches and collaborations will be combined in order to constrain the most realistic model of the early Earth evolution.
Max ERC Funding
453 286 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-08-01, End date: 2012-11-30
Project acronym EARTH CORE STRUCTURE
Project Thermal and compositional state of the Earth's inner core from seismic free oscillations
Researcher (PI) Arwen Fedora Deuss
Host Institution (HI) THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE8, ERC-2007-StG
Summary The core, comprising the innermost parts of the Earth, is one of the most dynamic regions of our planet. The inner core is solid, surrounded by a liquid iron alloy. Inner core solidification combined with motions in the fluid outer core drive the geodynamo which generates Earth's magnetic field. Solidification of the inner core also supplies some of the heat that drives mantle convection and subsequently plate tectonics at the surface of the Earth. The thermal and compositional structure of the inner core is thus key to understanding the inner workings of our planet. No direct samples can be taken of the core and our knowledge of the thermal and compositional state of the Earth's outer and inner core relies on seismology. Ray theoretical studies using short period body waves are the most commonly used seismological data; these have led to observations of a large range of anomalous structures in the Earth's inner core, including anistropy, layers and hemispherical variations. However, due to uneven station and earthquake distribution, the robustness and global distribution of these features is still controversial. Long period seismic free oscillations, on the other hand, are able to provide global constraints, but lack of appropriate theory has prevented more complicated structures from being studied using normal modes. Thus, many fundamental questions regarding the thermal history of the core and geodynamo remain unanswered. Here, I propose to develop a comprehensive seismic inner core model, employing fully-coupled normal mode theory for the first time and using data from large earthquakes such as the Sumatra-Andaman event of 26 December 2006. This will dramatically change our current ideas of structure in the inner core. Using a novel combination of fluid dynamics and mineral physics I will interpret the thermal and compositional structure found at the centre of our planet, which in turn are fundamental to understand its geodynamo and magnetic field.
Summary
The core, comprising the innermost parts of the Earth, is one of the most dynamic regions of our planet. The inner core is solid, surrounded by a liquid iron alloy. Inner core solidification combined with motions in the fluid outer core drive the geodynamo which generates Earth's magnetic field. Solidification of the inner core also supplies some of the heat that drives mantle convection and subsequently plate tectonics at the surface of the Earth. The thermal and compositional structure of the inner core is thus key to understanding the inner workings of our planet. No direct samples can be taken of the core and our knowledge of the thermal and compositional state of the Earth's outer and inner core relies on seismology. Ray theoretical studies using short period body waves are the most commonly used seismological data; these have led to observations of a large range of anomalous structures in the Earth's inner core, including anistropy, layers and hemispherical variations. However, due to uneven station and earthquake distribution, the robustness and global distribution of these features is still controversial. Long period seismic free oscillations, on the other hand, are able to provide global constraints, but lack of appropriate theory has prevented more complicated structures from being studied using normal modes. Thus, many fundamental questions regarding the thermal history of the core and geodynamo remain unanswered. Here, I propose to develop a comprehensive seismic inner core model, employing fully-coupled normal mode theory for the first time and using data from large earthquakes such as the Sumatra-Andaman event of 26 December 2006. This will dramatically change our current ideas of structure in the inner core. Using a novel combination of fluid dynamics and mineral physics I will interpret the thermal and compositional structure found at the centre of our planet, which in turn are fundamental to understand its geodynamo and magnetic field.
Max ERC Funding
1 202 744 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-10-01, End date: 2014-09-30
Project acronym ELNOX
Project Elemental nitrogen oxidation – A new bacterial process in the nitrogen cycle
Researcher (PI) Heide Schulz-Vogt
Host Institution (HI) MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN EV
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE8, ERC-2007-StG
Summary The largest reservoir for nitrogen on earth is the atmosphere that contains 78 percent nitrogen gas. Until now the only known biological process interacting with elemental nitrogen is the bacterial reduction of nitrogen to ammonia for the build up of biomass (nitrogen fixation). This reaction requires energy and is only carried out in the absence of other nitrogen sources, such as ammonia or nitrate. Thermodynamically, the oxidation of nitrogen to nitrate with oxygen releases reasonable amounts of energy, but no bacterium using this redox couple has been known until today. We have isolated a marine bacterium, which is capable of growing in the dark with nitrogen gas as electron donor and oxygen as electron acceptor while forming nitrate. As this microorganism can also use carbondioxide as a carbon source it basically lives of air. While oxidizing atmospheric nitrogen gas the bacterium releases large amounts of nitrate and thereby enhances the amount of fixed nitrogen available for other organisms. At the moment the apparent flux of elemental nitrogen to the ocean by bacterial nitrogen fixation is much smaller than the loss of nitrogen through bacterial denitrification, suggesting that we are missing a major input of nitrogen. This newly discovered physiology of nitrogen oxidation could close this large gap in our understanding of the nitrogen cycle. The amount of biological available nitrogen determines the amount of biomass that can be build up by living organisms. Therefore, it is crucial to know the nitrogen flux into the biosphere, to understand the balances in the carbon cycle. In this project I propose to study this new bacterial physiology in order to understand, which factors control the activity of nitrogen oxidizing bacteria. We need to know how widespread these bacteria are, to estimate their influence on the global nitrogen cycle, and I propose to investigate the interactions between nitrogen oxidizers and other relevant bacteria of the nitrogen cycle.
Summary
The largest reservoir for nitrogen on earth is the atmosphere that contains 78 percent nitrogen gas. Until now the only known biological process interacting with elemental nitrogen is the bacterial reduction of nitrogen to ammonia for the build up of biomass (nitrogen fixation). This reaction requires energy and is only carried out in the absence of other nitrogen sources, such as ammonia or nitrate. Thermodynamically, the oxidation of nitrogen to nitrate with oxygen releases reasonable amounts of energy, but no bacterium using this redox couple has been known until today. We have isolated a marine bacterium, which is capable of growing in the dark with nitrogen gas as electron donor and oxygen as electron acceptor while forming nitrate. As this microorganism can also use carbondioxide as a carbon source it basically lives of air. While oxidizing atmospheric nitrogen gas the bacterium releases large amounts of nitrate and thereby enhances the amount of fixed nitrogen available for other organisms. At the moment the apparent flux of elemental nitrogen to the ocean by bacterial nitrogen fixation is much smaller than the loss of nitrogen through bacterial denitrification, suggesting that we are missing a major input of nitrogen. This newly discovered physiology of nitrogen oxidation could close this large gap in our understanding of the nitrogen cycle. The amount of biological available nitrogen determines the amount of biomass that can be build up by living organisms. Therefore, it is crucial to know the nitrogen flux into the biosphere, to understand the balances in the carbon cycle. In this project I propose to study this new bacterial physiology in order to understand, which factors control the activity of nitrogen oxidizing bacteria. We need to know how widespread these bacteria are, to estimate their influence on the global nitrogen cycle, and I propose to investigate the interactions between nitrogen oxidizers and other relevant bacteria of the nitrogen cycle.
Max ERC Funding
1 450 673 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-07-01, End date: 2013-06-30
Project acronym GRACE
Project Genetic Record of Atmospheric Carbon dioxidE (GRACE)
Researcher (PI) Rosalind Rickaby
Host Institution (HI) THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE8, ERC-2007-StG
Summary Two key variables, temperature and atmospheric carbon dioxide (pCO2), define the sensitivity of the Earth’s climate system. The geological record provides our only evidence of the past climate sensitivity of the Earth system, but there is no direct quantitative measure of pCO2 or temperature beyond the 650 kyr extent of the Antarctic ice cores. The reconstruction of past climate, on timescales of millions of years, relies on the analysis of chemical or isotopic proxies in preserved shells or organic matter. Such indirect approaches depend upon empirical calibration in modern species, without understanding the biological mechanisms that underpin the incorporation of the climate signal. The intention of this ERC grant proposal is to establish a research team to investigate the “living geological record” to address this major gap in climate research. I hypothesise that direct climate signals of the past are harboured within, and can ultimately be deciphered from, the genetic make up of extant organisms. Specifically, I propose an innovative approach to the constraint of the evolution of atmospheric pCO2 during the Cenozoic. The approach is based on the statistical signal of positive selection of adaptation within the genetic sequences of marine algal Rubisco, the notoriously inefficient enzyme responsible for photosynthetic carbon fixation, but supplemented by analysis of allied carbon concentrating mechanisms. As a calibration, I will characterise the biochemical properties of Rubisco in terms of specificity for pCO2, isotopic fractionation and kinetics, from a range of marine phytoplankton. The prime motivation is a history of pCO2, but the project will yield additional insight into the feedback between phytoplankton and climate, the carbon isotopic signatures of the geological record and the mechanistic link between genetic encoding and specific
Summary
Two key variables, temperature and atmospheric carbon dioxide (pCO2), define the sensitivity of the Earth’s climate system. The geological record provides our only evidence of the past climate sensitivity of the Earth system, but there is no direct quantitative measure of pCO2 or temperature beyond the 650 kyr extent of the Antarctic ice cores. The reconstruction of past climate, on timescales of millions of years, relies on the analysis of chemical or isotopic proxies in preserved shells or organic matter. Such indirect approaches depend upon empirical calibration in modern species, without understanding the biological mechanisms that underpin the incorporation of the climate signal. The intention of this ERC grant proposal is to establish a research team to investigate the “living geological record” to address this major gap in climate research. I hypothesise that direct climate signals of the past are harboured within, and can ultimately be deciphered from, the genetic make up of extant organisms. Specifically, I propose an innovative approach to the constraint of the evolution of atmospheric pCO2 during the Cenozoic. The approach is based on the statistical signal of positive selection of adaptation within the genetic sequences of marine algal Rubisco, the notoriously inefficient enzyme responsible for photosynthetic carbon fixation, but supplemented by analysis of allied carbon concentrating mechanisms. As a calibration, I will characterise the biochemical properties of Rubisco in terms of specificity for pCO2, isotopic fractionation and kinetics, from a range of marine phytoplankton. The prime motivation is a history of pCO2, but the project will yield additional insight into the feedback between phytoplankton and climate, the carbon isotopic signatures of the geological record and the mechanistic link between genetic encoding and specific
Max ERC Funding
1 652 907 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-09-01, End date: 2015-08-31
Project acronym ICEPROXY
Project Novel Lipid Biomarkers from Polar Ice: Climatic and Ecological Applications
Researcher (PI) Guillaume Masse
Host Institution (HI) CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE8, ERC-2007-StG
Summary It is widely acknowledged that polar sea ice plays a critical role in global climate change. As such, sea ice reconstructions are of paramount importance in establishing climatic evolution of the geological past. In the current project, some well characterised organic chemicals (biomarkers) from microalgae will be used as proxy indicators of current and past sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. These biomarkers, so-called highly branched isoprenoids (HBIs), possess a number of characteristics that make them attractive as sea ice proxies. Firstly, some HBIs are unique to sea ice diatoms, so their presence in polar sediments can be directly correlated with the previous occurrence of sea ice. Secondly, they are relatively resistant to degradation, which extends their usefulness in the geological record. Thirdly, their relative abundance makes them straightforward to measure with a high degree of geological resolution. One component of this project will consist of performing regional calibrations of the proxies. Concentrations of selected biomarkers in recent Arctic and Antarctic sediments will be correlated with the sea ice abundances determined using satellite technology over the last 30 years. The successful calibration of the proxies will then enable reconstructions of past sea ice extents to be performed at unprecedented high resolution. Sediment cores will be obtained from key locations across both of the Arctic and Antarctic regions and the data derived from these studies will be used for climate modelling studies. As a complement to these physico-chemical studies on sea ice, a second component of the project will investigate the use of these biomarkers for studying sea ice-biota interactions and, by examining the transfer of these chemicals through food chains, new tools for determining the consequences of future climate change on polar ecosystems will be established.
Summary
It is widely acknowledged that polar sea ice plays a critical role in global climate change. As such, sea ice reconstructions are of paramount importance in establishing climatic evolution of the geological past. In the current project, some well characterised organic chemicals (biomarkers) from microalgae will be used as proxy indicators of current and past sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. These biomarkers, so-called highly branched isoprenoids (HBIs), possess a number of characteristics that make them attractive as sea ice proxies. Firstly, some HBIs are unique to sea ice diatoms, so their presence in polar sediments can be directly correlated with the previous occurrence of sea ice. Secondly, they are relatively resistant to degradation, which extends their usefulness in the geological record. Thirdly, their relative abundance makes them straightforward to measure with a high degree of geological resolution. One component of this project will consist of performing regional calibrations of the proxies. Concentrations of selected biomarkers in recent Arctic and Antarctic sediments will be correlated with the sea ice abundances determined using satellite technology over the last 30 years. The successful calibration of the proxies will then enable reconstructions of past sea ice extents to be performed at unprecedented high resolution. Sediment cores will be obtained from key locations across both of the Arctic and Antarctic regions and the data derived from these studies will be used for climate modelling studies. As a complement to these physico-chemical studies on sea ice, a second component of the project will investigate the use of these biomarkers for studying sea ice-biota interactions and, by examining the transfer of these chemicals through food chains, new tools for determining the consequences of future climate change on polar ecosystems will be established.
Max ERC Funding
1 888 594 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-10-01, End date: 2013-09-30
Project acronym PHYTOCHANGE
Project New approaches to assess the responses of phytoplankton to Global Change
Researcher (PI) Bjoern Christian Rost
Host Institution (HI) ALFRED-WEGENER-INSTITUT HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM FUR POLAR- UND MEERESFORSCHUNG
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE8, ERC-2007-StG
Summary Phytoplankton are responsible for a major part of global primary production due to the immensity of the marine realm and are heavily implicated in global biosphere equilibriums by driving elemental chemistry in surface oceans, exporting massive amounts of C to sediments and influencing ocean-atmosphere gas exchange. Climate change will alter the marine environment within the next 100 years. Increasing atmospheric CO2 has already caused higher aquatic pCO2 levels and lower pH (ocean acidification) and rising temperature will impact ocean stratification, and hence light and nutrient conditions. Phytoplankton will be affected by these Earth system transformations in many ways, altering the complex balance of biogeochemical cycles and climate feedback mechanisms. Prediction of how phytoplankton may respond at the cellular and ecosystem levels is a key challenge in global change research. The proposed project will investigate physiological reactions of 3 important phytoplankton groups (diatoms, coccolithophores, cyanobacteria) to environmental factors which will be affected by global change (pCO2/pH, light, nutrients). Using an innovative combination of cutting-edge mass-spectrometric and fluorometric techniques, a suite of in vivo assays will be applied in lab and field experiments to develop a process-based understanding of cellular responses. Specific biogeochemical issues will be addressed since diatoms are the main drivers of vertical organic C fluxes, coccolithophores regulate ocean alkalinity through calcification, and N2-fixing cyanobacteria control availability of reactive N. These are relevant in different marine zones, from Southern Ocean to equatorial oligotrophic waters. Data will significantly improve understanding of key processes in phytoplankton and will be exploited in multidisciplinary contexts ranging from molecular to ecological processes and, through cellular and ecosystem models, to predictions of marine biosphere responses to future global change
Summary
Phytoplankton are responsible for a major part of global primary production due to the immensity of the marine realm and are heavily implicated in global biosphere equilibriums by driving elemental chemistry in surface oceans, exporting massive amounts of C to sediments and influencing ocean-atmosphere gas exchange. Climate change will alter the marine environment within the next 100 years. Increasing atmospheric CO2 has already caused higher aquatic pCO2 levels and lower pH (ocean acidification) and rising temperature will impact ocean stratification, and hence light and nutrient conditions. Phytoplankton will be affected by these Earth system transformations in many ways, altering the complex balance of biogeochemical cycles and climate feedback mechanisms. Prediction of how phytoplankton may respond at the cellular and ecosystem levels is a key challenge in global change research. The proposed project will investigate physiological reactions of 3 important phytoplankton groups (diatoms, coccolithophores, cyanobacteria) to environmental factors which will be affected by global change (pCO2/pH, light, nutrients). Using an innovative combination of cutting-edge mass-spectrometric and fluorometric techniques, a suite of in vivo assays will be applied in lab and field experiments to develop a process-based understanding of cellular responses. Specific biogeochemical issues will be addressed since diatoms are the main drivers of vertical organic C fluxes, coccolithophores regulate ocean alkalinity through calcification, and N2-fixing cyanobacteria control availability of reactive N. These are relevant in different marine zones, from Southern Ocean to equatorial oligotrophic waters. Data will significantly improve understanding of key processes in phytoplankton and will be exploited in multidisciplinary contexts ranging from molecular to ecological processes and, through cellular and ecosystem models, to predictions of marine biosphere responses to future global change
Max ERC Funding
1 399 984 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-06-01, End date: 2013-05-31
Project acronym QUASOM
Project Quantifying and modelling pathways of soil organic matter as affected by abiotic factors, microbial dynamics, and transport processes
Researcher (PI) Markus Reichstein
Host Institution (HI) MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN EV
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE8, ERC-2007-StG
Summary Soils play a critical role in the coupled carbon-cycle climate system. However, our scientific understanding of the role of soil biological-physicochemical interactions and of vertical transport for biogeochemical cycles is still limited. Moreover the representation of soil processes in current biosphere models operating at global scale is crude compared to vegetation processes like photosynthesis. Hence, the general aim of this project is to improve our understanding of the key interactions between the biological and the physicochemical components of the soil system that are often not explicitly considered in current experimental and modeling approaches. However, these interactions are likely to influence the biogeochemical cycles for a large part of the terrestrial biosphere and thus have the potential to significantly impact the Earth System as a whole. This will be achieved through an approach that integrates new soil mesocosm experiments, field data from ongoing European projects and soil process modeling. In mesocosm tracer experiments the fate of new and autochthonous soil organic matter will be followed under varying temperature and moisture regimes, explicitly investigating the role of microbiota. This project will test the hypothesis that transfer coefficients between soil organic matter pools, respiration and microbial biomass formation are constant as implemented in current soil organic matter models. Novel soil model structures will be developed that may explicitly account for the role of microbes and transport for soil organic matter dynamics. This will be supported by multiple-constraint model identification techniques, which allows testing and achieving model consistency with several observation types and theory. The soil modules will be incorporated into global terrestrial biosphere models which are coupled and uncoupled to the atmosphere allowing specific model experiments for investigating feedback mechanisms between soil, climate, and vegetation.
Summary
Soils play a critical role in the coupled carbon-cycle climate system. However, our scientific understanding of the role of soil biological-physicochemical interactions and of vertical transport for biogeochemical cycles is still limited. Moreover the representation of soil processes in current biosphere models operating at global scale is crude compared to vegetation processes like photosynthesis. Hence, the general aim of this project is to improve our understanding of the key interactions between the biological and the physicochemical components of the soil system that are often not explicitly considered in current experimental and modeling approaches. However, these interactions are likely to influence the biogeochemical cycles for a large part of the terrestrial biosphere and thus have the potential to significantly impact the Earth System as a whole. This will be achieved through an approach that integrates new soil mesocosm experiments, field data from ongoing European projects and soil process modeling. In mesocosm tracer experiments the fate of new and autochthonous soil organic matter will be followed under varying temperature and moisture regimes, explicitly investigating the role of microbiota. This project will test the hypothesis that transfer coefficients between soil organic matter pools, respiration and microbial biomass formation are constant as implemented in current soil organic matter models. Novel soil model structures will be developed that may explicitly account for the role of microbes and transport for soil organic matter dynamics. This will be supported by multiple-constraint model identification techniques, which allows testing and achieving model consistency with several observation types and theory. The soil modules will be incorporated into global terrestrial biosphere models which are coupled and uncoupled to the atmosphere allowing specific model experiments for investigating feedback mechanisms between soil, climate, and vegetation.
Max ERC Funding
946 800 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-09-01, End date: 2014-02-28
Project acronym USEMS
Project Uncovering the Secrets of an Earthquake: Multidisciplinary Study of Physico-Chemical Processes During the Seismic Cycle
Researcher (PI) Giulio Di Toro
Host Institution (HI) ISTITUTO NAZIONALE DI GEOFISICA E VULCANOLOGIA
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE8, ERC-2007-StG
Summary Southern Europe and Turkey lie within the highest seismic risk areas in the world. Understanding the physico-chemical processes controlling earthquake generation is essential in seismic hazard assessment. Destructive earthquakes nucleate at depth (10-15 km), therefore monitoring active faults at the Earth’s surface, or interpreting seismic waves, yields only limited information on earthquake mechanics. We propose to investigate earthquake processes by: 1) installing a new world class high velocity rock friction apparatus to perform experiments under deformation conditions typical of earthquakes; 2) studying fossil seismic sources now exhumed at the Earth's surface; 3) analyzing natural and experimental fault rock materials using a novel multidisciplinary approach involving state of the art techniques in microstructural analysis, mineralogy and petrology; 4) producing new theoretical earthquake models calibrated (and tightly constrained) by field observations, mechanical data from rock-friction experiments and analyses of natural and experimental fault rocks. The integration of such an original and complementary data set shall provide an unprecedented insight into the mechanics of seismic faulting. The installation of the new dedicated rock friction apparatus will allow the European Union to become a key world player competing at the top scientific level in the study of earthquake mechanics. The proposed study has additional implications for understanding other friction-controlled processes important in Earth sciences and hazard mitigation (e.g., rock landslides). Friction also has broad applications in the industry, including innovative but poorly understood production processes. Our experimental results will help to improve industrial milling techniques and investigate the mechanical-chemical transformations induced during milling. The latter is the basis of a new technique for the production of hydrocarbons and hydrogen from inorganic and organic materials.
Summary
Southern Europe and Turkey lie within the highest seismic risk areas in the world. Understanding the physico-chemical processes controlling earthquake generation is essential in seismic hazard assessment. Destructive earthquakes nucleate at depth (10-15 km), therefore monitoring active faults at the Earth’s surface, or interpreting seismic waves, yields only limited information on earthquake mechanics. We propose to investigate earthquake processes by: 1) installing a new world class high velocity rock friction apparatus to perform experiments under deformation conditions typical of earthquakes; 2) studying fossil seismic sources now exhumed at the Earth's surface; 3) analyzing natural and experimental fault rock materials using a novel multidisciplinary approach involving state of the art techniques in microstructural analysis, mineralogy and petrology; 4) producing new theoretical earthquake models calibrated (and tightly constrained) by field observations, mechanical data from rock-friction experiments and analyses of natural and experimental fault rocks. The integration of such an original and complementary data set shall provide an unprecedented insight into the mechanics of seismic faulting. The installation of the new dedicated rock friction apparatus will allow the European Union to become a key world player competing at the top scientific level in the study of earthquake mechanics. The proposed study has additional implications for understanding other friction-controlled processes important in Earth sciences and hazard mitigation (e.g., rock landslides). Friction also has broad applications in the industry, including innovative but poorly understood production processes. Our experimental results will help to improve industrial milling techniques and investigate the mechanical-chemical transformations induced during milling. The latter is the basis of a new technique for the production of hydrocarbons and hydrogen from inorganic and organic materials.
Max ERC Funding
1 992 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-06-01, End date: 2013-05-31
