Analysis of the primary productivity of the Southern Ocean during the warming of the middle Miocene using geochemical data

Abstract

The study of the effects of climate change on Earth has been one of the most discussed topics in science today, covering different areas of knowledge. Paleoceanography can provide important information to predict and to model possible similar warming in the future. The Southern Ocean represents 40% of anthropogenic CO2 captured by the ocean, being a key area for the study of global warming. Here we propose to investigate paleocenographic changes during the warming of the Middle Miocene in the Southern Ocean, regarding primary productivity in the region. For this, geochemical data from marine cores collected during expedition 369 of the IODP (International Ocean Discovery Program), in subpolar latitudes (60 ° -62 ° S) of the Indian Ocean at 3838.2 m water depth will be used. The U1514 site explored during the expedition was located in the Subantarctic Zone during the early Miocene. Thus, the sediments from this point will be submitted to microanalysis techniques; Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), in order to obtain barium concentration and Si30 isotopic composition for characterization of Southern Ocean production during the warming of the Middle Miocene.(AU)