Towards quantification of millennial ocean oxygen changes using thallium isotopes: a case study of the Holocene

NSF Award Search · 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT · $366,587 · view on nsf.gov ↗

Abstract

This project will study how ocean oxygen content varies during the Holocene (last 11,700 years). A key research question is whether ocean oxygen levels vary with temperature. The study will use existing sediment cores from the California margin and the Arabian Sea. The investigators will carry out high-resolution analyses using a cutting-edge technique. The ultimate goal of the project is to measure whether global ocean oxygen content increased during the Holocene. The results are important as ocean oxygenation is critical for habitability of marine ecosystems. The project will support an early-career researcher and research and training opportunities for a post-doctoral scholar and an undergraduate student. Two workshops on oceanography will be designed for middle school students. Seawater thallium isotopic compositions have recently been proposed to track the global ocean oxygen. This study will construct high-resolution thallium isotope records over the Holocene for both the Arabian Sea and California margin. The results will be used to test if the global ocean oxygen content increased during the mid-late Holocene compared to early- to mid-Holocene. A second aspect of the project is to couple thallium isotopic compositions to a model to provide quantitative constraints on ocean oxygen. The results will have implications for understanding the ocean’s role in global biogeochemical cycles, especially carbon and nitrogen. New workshops on science topics related to the proje

Key facts

NSF award ID
2609014
Awardee
Tulane University (LA)
SAM.gov UEI
XNY5ULPU8EN6
PI
Yi Wang
Primary program
01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
All programs
EARTH SYSTEM HISTORY, CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND PREDICTABILITY, MARINE GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS, EXP PROG TO STIM COMP RES
Estimated total
$366,587
Funds obligated
$366,587
Transaction type
Standard Grant
Period
07/01/2026 → 06/30/2028