Last Glacial Maximum to Holocene Paleoclimate Change Research Dr. Joseph D. Ortiz Kent State University, Department of Geology A significant thrust of the research in my
lab is focused on understanding the mechanisms that
drive climate change from the LGM through the Holocene
on a global scale. Climate can be considered as the
net result of the redistribution of heat from the
tropics to the poles. How the heat is redistributed
depends on the interplay of atmospheric and oceanic
modes of variability, which exhibit different,
inherent timescales depending on which process are
involved and the geographic position of interest. To
reconstruct processes operating on timescales ranging
from decadal to millennial resolution requires high
resolution proxies collected from locations with rapid
accumulation rates. Much of my Holocene work is thus
focused on marginal marine or lacustrine environments
selected on the basis of their high sediment
accumulation rates. I make extensive use of sediment
physical properties measurements (visible derivative
spectroscopy, laser particle size analysis, and
elemental analysis by x-ray florescence) to
reconstruct sediment provenance and climate
variability through time. These methods are rapid,
require little sample preparation and yield, rich,
multivariate data sets that can be unmixed, or
decomposed using statistical methods to partition
variance related to how different processes have
influenced a location through time. I have been
instrumental in the development of visible derivative
spectroscopy as a tool for paleoclimatic
reconstruction. I also employ micropaleontological and
stable isotope analysis of foraminifera as needed to
answer questions about Holocene climate change.
Although I am interested in global processes, I
address these questions through detailed regional
reconstructions and have worked in most of the World
Ocean's major basins.
Apply online to the Graduate Program in Geology at Kent State University. More information about the Kent State University Geology Graduate program. My collaborative work on the 1500 year climate cycle has been highlighted by the National Science Foundation, along with information about my contribution to the Holocene paleoclimate work on Soledad Basin. |