Antarctic bottom water (AABW)
production over the Pleistocene
Virtual reconstruction of Antarctic bedrock topography: Image source - www.nasa.gov
Dense Antarctic bottom water (AABW) is a major contributor to global overturning circulation. Cape Darnley is one of the four major regions producing AABW, contributing 13-30% of the total AABW production. Cape Darnley AABW production has only recently been discovered, and its past and present dynamics mostly remain unexplored.
Pleistocene glacial-interglacial variability in
Cape Darnley AABW production
One of the major objectives of CANYONS Voyage (December-January 2023) was to retrieve sediment cores off the East Antarctic shore to study the Cape Darnley AABW formation over the past 2 million years.
In an ongoing project at Princeton, I use stable N isotope ratio measurements of diatom-bound organic matter to trace past biogeochemical dynamics of the region, which may provide insight on past nutrient utilization rates and implications on carbon dioxide drawdown.
A map of Cape Darnley region. Expedition survey area is marked by a red polygon.