# Collaborative Research: Reconstructing Ocean Sedimentation Rate Variability to Improve Age Estimates for Paleoclimate Data

> **NSF 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT** · Brown University (RI) · $185,618

## Abstract

The seafloor sediment provides an important archive of information about Earth’s past. Sediment accumulates nearly continuously for thousands to millions of years. Interpreting the geologic and environmental changes recorded by these sediments relies on knowing the age of each sediment layer. Researchers often use software to create “age models” that estimate sediment age and the uncertainty of that age. This project aims to improve the accuracy of sediment ages.  It will compile radiometric ages in over 250 marine sediment cores. This new data will increase the constraints on the new modeling software, BIGMACS, by tenfold. This improvement will result in more accurate sedimentation rates, reduce age-model uncertainty, and broadly improve paleoclimate data compilations. This new software will be freely available to the scientific community. The project will advance the career of a postdoctoral researcher in applied math and geosciences, train graduate students in interdisciplinary paleoclimate studies, and expose an undergraduate student to research.

The accuracy of paleoclimate reconstructions used to validate the climate models rely on age models when identifying cause-and-effect relationships, creating snapshots of the climate at a specific point in time, or characterizing the magnitude of natural variability on different timescales. Such information is crucial for testing the effectiveness of climate models and improving their ability to simulate potential future clima

## Key facts

- **NSF award ID:** 2508422
- **Awardee organization:** Brown University (RI)
- **SAM.gov UEI:** E3FDXZ6TBHW3
- **PI:** Charles E Lawrence
- **Primary program:** 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
- **All programs:** MARINE GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS
- **Estimated total:** $185,618
- **Funds obligated:** $185,618
- **Transaction type:** Standard Grant
- **Period:** 09/01/2025 → 08/31/2027

## Primary source

NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2508422

## Citation

> US National Science Foundation, Award 2508422, Collaborative Research: Reconstructing Ocean Sedimentation Rate Variability to Improve Age Estimates for Paleoclimate Data. Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-08 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nsf/2508422. Licensed CC0.

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