-
- PP11B-0828: Forecasting California Coastal Precipitation Using Speleothem Reconstructions from Past Warm Periods
-
Board 0828‚ Hall EFG (Poster Hall)NOLA CC
Author(s):Generic 'disconnected' Message
Sophia White, University of California Santa Cruz (First Author)
Berkhashni Nirula, University of California Santa Cruz (Presenting Author)
Terrence Blackburn, University of California Santa Cruz
The goal of this project is to analyze the paleoclimate of Santa Cruz, CA by characterizing the geochemistry of local cave deposits. Understanding how Santa Cruz's climate has responded to past global climate shifts is imperative for predicting its current response to anthropogenic climate change. Santa Cruz county is one of few regions on the U.S. west coast which possesses limestone caves. Caves are excellent record-keepers of the climate in which they form, largely due to their constant temperature, which reflects the average surface temperature of the region. As rainwater percolates through bedrock, it becomes saturated with calcite minerals, which are then deposited on the ceilings, walls, and floors of caves. Calcite formations on cave ceilings, called stalactites, grow in distinct bands that record the isotopic composition of the drip water from which they form. Similar in appearance to tree rings, stalactite growth layers can provide detailed information about ancient precipitation patterns in the local region. We calculate the ages of speleothems and characterize their isotopic compositions to create a local hydroclimate record of Santa Cruz, CA.
Scientific DisciplineNeighborhoodType
Enter Note
Go to previous page in this tab
Session
