More than 130,000 years ago, Earth experienced a surge in atmospheric carbon dioxide driven by a shift in Southern Hemisphere ocean circulation and wind patterns. This warming event drove global temperatures above modern levels—offering critical climate insights that could unlock more accurate models for future climate change forecasting.
To this end, Professor Cyrus Karas, a faculty member in the Department of Geospatial and Environmental Engineering, along with a team of national and international researchers, will seek to reconstruct the climate of southern Chile during the penultimate deglaciation period.
This Fondecyt Regular project will also examine changes in ocean circulation in the Southeast Pacific and the role it plays in the increase of atmospheric CO₂ concentrations.
In Dr. Karas's words, “understanding this connection is important, since the ocean currently plays a crucial role in regulating carbon dioxide levels, which is one of the main greenhouse gases.”
The research focuses on analyzing deep-sea sediment cores gathered off the coast of Chile and across the eastern equatorial Pacific. By examining these ocean records, scientists aim to decode past climate mechanisms and build robust environmental proxies that can help predict how modern global warming will impact the Pacific Ocean.
The study is being conducted in collaboration with the Catholic University of Chile, the Helmholtz Geomar Center for Ocean Research in Kiel, and the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (both German institutions).
This grant recognizes Dr. Karas’s track record and the strength of his scientific proposal, which will help connect the past with current and future challenges related to global warming.