Feasibility Study of Eocene to Pliocene Palynological Reconstruction off Seymour Island

Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Metadata:

• Identification_Information
• Data_Quality_Information
• Spatial_Reference_Information
• Distribution_Information
• Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: Sophie Armande Warny

Publication_Date: Unknown

Title: Feasibility Study of Eocene to Pliocene Palynological Reconstruction off Seymour Island

Edition:

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Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Baton Rouge, LA

Publisher: Louisiana Museum of Natural Science

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Online_Linkage:

Description:

Abstract:

Feasibility study of Eocene to Pliocene palynological reconstruction of the Antarctic Peninsula margin climate evolution Project Summary Intellectual merit Numerous lines of geological evidence show that major changes in the global climate system occurred during the Cenozoic, but the triggering mechanisms behind widespread Antarctic glaciations and progressive cooling are still debated. What triggered Antarctic glacial intensification and where on the Antarctic continental margins did the cryosphere first developed are still unanswered questions. In recent years, high-resolution seismic studies on the margins have done much to provide details concerning the ice-sheet advances and retreats. These glacial/interglacial cycles had a profound influence on the vegetation and algal community in and around Antarctica. Plants and algae adapted to continuous environmental changes and their fossil record can tell us about the Antarctic climatic history. In advance of and concurrent with the high-cost ANDRILL and SHALDRIL coring operations, I propose to explore a fairly inexpensive research strategy that utilizes existing piston cores from the Weddell Sea margin of the Antarctic Peninsula outer continental shelf. Seismic data from the area shows that basinward tilted strata presumed to be Eocene and younger in age are truncated at or near the seafloor. The terminations are associated with a recent advance of the Antarctic Peninsula ice sheet. Microfossils from these older strata are likely to be contained within seafloor sediments sampled by existing piston cores. In this SGER proposal, I am proposing to conduct a palynological investigation to evaluate the spectrum of environmental changes that occurred from Eocene to Pliocene in the Antarctic-Peninsula area. Reworked material sampled from archived piston cores that penetrated the top of selected key seismic units off Seymour Island will be analyzed to address one specific question: What were the environmental conditions during Eocene/Pliocene interglacials and glacials in the Antarctic Peninsula? Dinocyst distribution should document changes in the marine realm while pollen and spores distribution will provide data on land vegetation and climate changes. By conducting this preliminary study, the PI will test the feasibility of a larger scale study that will be proposed once SHALDRIL or ANDRILL type in situ material is recovered. Broader impact The research activities were disseminated to the public and the scientific community as a full-scale museum exhibit, with companion booklet, website and conference coverage. The PI received a grant from the Louisiana Board of Regents to build an exhibit entitled “Experience Antarctica: A century of Earth Science discoveries”. The results from the PI’s Antarctic palynological research, from the Northern Basin (past NSF support) and from the herein proposed research on the Peninsula, were integrated into two exhibit panels. Research of colleagues at LSU and from other institutions were summarized in eight additional interactive panels. The education companion booklet was distributed to the public and to science teachers in Louisiana. The PI’s current operational education website was updated to present the new exhibit and associated education material. Science teachers in Louisiana were invited to a one-day workshop organized at LSU by the PI. The workshop included detailed guided tours of the exhibit, a list of links between our research and k-12 science standards, and educational material such as the LSU exhibit companion booklet. The teachers were in return asked to organize a field trip for their students to come and visit the Antarctic exhibit. For years to come, this exhibit should improve the understanding and appreciation of Earth Sciences for thousands of visitors.

Purpose:

Not Available

Supplemental_Information:

REFERENCE: Warny, S. Anderson, J.B., ,Londeix, L., and Bart, P.J., submitted. Analysis of the dinoflagellate cyst genus Impletosphaeridium as a marker of sea-ice conditions off Seymour Island. In Antarctica: A Keystone in a Changing World – Online Proceedings of the 10th ISAES, edited by A.K. Cooper and C.R. Raymond et al., USGS Open-File Report 2007-xxx, yyy, 1-4, doi: 10.3133zzzzz. Warny, S., to be submitted in March. Palaeostomocystis spp.: A potential indicator of neritic subpolar environments from Masstrichtian to Pleistocene. Palynology – special volume dedicated to John Wrenn. Bart, P.J., Ehrmann, W.U., Hillenbrand, C.D., Iwai, M., Winter, D., and Warny, S., 2006. Are Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet grounding events manifest in sedimentary cycles on the adjacent continental rise? Marine Geology. In press. Warny, S., Wrenn, J.H., Bart, P.J., Askin, R.E., 2006. Palynological analysis of the NBP03-01A transect in Northern Basin, western Ross Sea, Antarctica: a Late Pliocene record. Palynology, 30: 151-182, Tedford, R. and Warny, S., 2006. Investigating the cake-layer Earth and its fossil record. National Science Teacher Association, December, p. 40-44. Fauquette, S., Suc, J.-P., Bertini, A., Popescu, S.-M., L., Warny, S., Bachiri Taoufiq, N., Perez Villa, M.-J., Ferrier, J., Chikhi, H., Subally D. and Clauzon, G., 2006. How much the climate forced the Messinian Salinity Crisis? Quantified climatic conditions from pollen records in the western Mediterranean region. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology and Palaeoecology, 238: 281-301. Egger, A., Eriksson, S., Franks S., Hall, M., Marlino, M., Mogk, D. Ruzek, M., Scotchmoor, J., and Warny, S., 2006. Geoscience Education and Public Outreach Network (GEPON). Report of a workshop held at UNAVCO, Boulder, Colorado, March 22-24, 2006. Marlino, M. and Scotchmoor, J. (eds). Available online at: http://www.gepon.org/reportPrintWS2.html. Warny, S., Bart, P.J. and Suc, J.-P., 2006. Glacioeustatic, climatic, and tectonic influences on the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Abstract, SEAL conference, Aix, France, 24-29 September. Bart, P.J., Egan, D., and Warny, S., 2005. Late-Miocene/early-Pliocene transition from temperate to sub-polar climatic conditions on the Pacific margin of the Antarctic Peninsula outer continental shelf. JGR-Earth Surface. Bart, P.J., and Warny, S., 2005. Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet grounding events on the Pacific-margin continental shelf during the late Miocene/early Pliocene compared to two drift-derived proxies on the adjacent continental rise. Abstract, AGU (American Geosciences Union), New Orleans, Louisiana, April 2005. Bart, P.J., Warny, S., and Egan, D., 2005. Dynamics, nature and timing of Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet grounding events on the Pacific margin outer continental shelf during the late Miocene/early Pliocene. Abstract, EGU (European Geosciences Union), General Assembly, Vienna, Austria, 24 - 29 April 2005.

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 20050301

Ending_Date: 20070228

Currentness_Reference:Unknown

Status:

Progress: Complete

Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: As needed

Spatial_Domain:

Description_of_Geographic_Extent:

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: -54.0

East_Bounding_Coordinate: -58.0

North_Bounding_Coordinate: -62.0

South_Bounding_Coordinate: -65.0

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD SCIENCE PARAMETERS

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD INSTRUMENT

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: PROJECT

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ANCILLARY KEYWORDS

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO TOPIC CATEGORY

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: DATA SET LANGUAGE

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > PALEOCLIMATE > LAND RECORDS > MICROFOSSILS

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > PALEOCLIMATE > LAND RECORDS > PALEOVEGETATION

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > PALEOCLIMATE > LAND RECORDS > POLLEN

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > PALEOCLIMATE > OCEAN/LAKE RECORDS > MICROFOSSILS

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > PALEOCLIMATE > PALEOCLIMATE RECONSTRUCTIONS > SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE RECONSTRUCTION

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > PALEOCLIMATE > PALEOCLIMATE RECONSTRUCTIONS > SEA LEVEL RECONSTRUCTION

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > PALEOCLIMATE > PALEOCLIMATE RECONSTRUCTIONS > VEGETATION RECONSTRUCTION

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > PALEOCLIMATE > OCEAN/LAKE RECORDS > POLLEN

Theme_Keyword: MICROSCOPES

Theme_Keyword: ANDRILL > ANTARCTIC DRILLING PROGRAM

Theme_Keyword: Museum

Theme_Keyword: Weddell Sea

Theme_Keyword: Antarctic

Theme_Keyword: Exhibit

Theme_Keyword: Pollen

Theme_Keyword: Dinoflagellate Cyst

Theme_Keyword: Palynology

Theme_Keyword: Paleoenvironment

Theme_Keyword: CLIMATOLOGY/METEOROLOGY/ATMOSPHERE

Theme_Keyword: ENVIRONMENT

Theme_Keyword: ENGLISH

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD

Place_Keyword: CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA

Place_Keyword: GEOGRAPHIC REGION > POLAR

Access_Constraints: The staff at the Antarctic Research Facility in Florida was extremely helpful and provided all data on time.

Use_Constraints:

All data are currently being published and will be accessible broadly soon.

Point_of_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: SOPHIE ARMANDE WARNY

Contact_Position: INVESTIGATOR

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: Louisiana Museum of Natural Science

Address: 119 Foster Hall

City: Baton Rouge

State_or_Province: LA

Postal_Code: 70803

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 225-578-5089

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 225-578-2302

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: swarny@lsu.edu

Data_Quality_Information:

Attribute_Accuracy:

Attribute_Accuracy_Report:

This was a feasibility study to test the potential recovery of palynomorphs in the area of interest for the SHALDRIL project. For this project, piston core samples were evaluated. The recovery exceeded our expectations and a diverse palynomorph assemblage was recovered (diverse both in age and in term of environmental significance).

Logical_Consistency_Report:

Not Available

Completeness_Report:

Not Available

Lineage:

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

Not Available

Process_Date: Unknown

Spatial_Reference_Information:

Distribution_Information:

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: LSU/LMNH/NATSCI > Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana Museum of Natural History, Louisiana State University

Contact_Person: SOPHIE ARMANDE WARNY

Contact_Position: DATA CENTER CONTACT

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: Louisiana Museum of Natural Science

Address: 119 Foster Hall

City: Baton Rouge

State_or_Province: LA

Postal_Code: 70803

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 225-578-5089

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 225-578-2302

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: swarny@lsu.edu

Resource_Description: Experience Antarctica and Feasibility study off Seymour Island

Distribution_Liability:

Not Available

Standard_Order_Process:

Digital_Form:

Digital_Transfer_Information:

Format_Name: Not Available

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:

http://appl003.lsu.edu/natsci/lmnh.nsf/index

Access_Instructions:

DATA CENTER URL

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:

http://appl027.lsu.edu/MNSEducation/exp_antarctica...

Access_Instructions:

This website contains all exhibit panels including text and pictures and all the exhibit videos and animations.

Fees: Not Available

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date: 20070308

Metadata_Review_Date: 20100702

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: GCMD User Support Office

Contact_Organization: NASA Global Change Master Directory

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: Not Available

City: Lanham

State_or_Province: MD

Postal_Code: 20706

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: Not Available

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: gcmduso@gcmd.gsfc.nasa.gov

Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata

Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998

Metadata_Time_Convention: local time