Programme: H2020 – ERC
Project title: Testing the role of Mediterranean thermohaline circulation as a sensor of transient climate events and shaker of North Atlantic Circulation
Acronym: TIMED
Duration: 01/1/2017 – 31/12/ 2021
Total Budget: € 2.400.000
ISMAR budget: € 124.375
Web site: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/683237/it
Summary:
The Mediterranean Sea is an excellent sensor of transient climate conditions at different time scales. Changes in Mediterranean water properties result from complex interactions between the Atlantic inflow, local climate and north and south atmospheric teleconnections. In turn, Mediterranean outflow waters spill into the Atlantic Ocean, hus acting as a net salt and heat source for the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Climate models anticipate changes in these circulation systems within decades; thus it becomes critical to understand the natural range of variations in the Mediterranean Thermohaline Circulation (MedTHC) and whether these can alter the AMOC. An innovative approach, based on both well-established and newly-developed analytical methods will be applied to characterize, qualitatively and quantitatively, past changes in the MedTHC dynamics. Particular emphasis will be placed on building robust regional chronologies and proxy records with unprecedented high-resolution. This approach will combine proxy data from sediment cores and deep-sea corals along the main paths of water masses as they cross the Mediterranean basins and exit into the North Atlantic.
Contact person in ISMAR: fabrizio.lirer@na.ismar.cnr.it
Partnership:
- Universitat de Barcelona UB (Spain)
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) (Italy)