Prof. Geoffrey Clark's Farewell Party

Hi everyone,

I'm posting some pictures from the farewell party we held for Prof. Clark last week (photos courtesy of Sawada-san). After 2 months with our lab, it was finally time for him to head back to Canberra. We really enjoyed having him here and hope that it was a fruitful experience for him as well.

Farewell presents

Prof. Clark looking pleased with his gift

Group shot

Talk by Angel Bautista: I-129 Time Series from Philippines Coral Cores

Hi all!

Today, Mr. Angel Bautista from Matsuzaki Lab presented his research on the influence of anthropogenic nuclear activity and ocean circulation on radioactive iodine (129I) time series in coral cores from the Philippines. Fascinating dataset and talk.

By analysing two cores drilled from West and East Philippines respectively, Angel aims to compare circulation patterns in the Pacific and the South China Sea. Clarifying atmospheric and oceanic transport mechanisms will be key to unlocking the amount of anthropogenic nuclear output. Future methods to consider in the corroboration of his current data include Sr/Ca and 14C analyses.

Thank you Angel!

Australia Excursion: Days 6-8 (2 - 4/3/2015)

Yue Chin again - this time with my third and final post about the Australia trip. Apologies for this being so long overdue!

In the morning of the 2nd we headed off to the University of Wollongong after bidding the remote beauty of Kioloa a reluctant goodbye. On the way, a quick restroom stop turned into a doughnut pilgrimage. The town of Berry is home to the Donut Van (or more specifically, The Famous Berry Donut Van). Thanks to Prof. Yokoyama for generously treating us all to doughnuts! These were piping hot, brushed with icing sugar and cinnamon. Seriously one of the best doughnuts I've eaten, and I've had quite a few.

After getting to the University of Wollongong at around lunchtime, we were given a brief introduction to the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences by Dr. Zenobia Jacobs, the head of the department. We then had a look into the various laboratories where the main geochemical work is done. Dr. Florian Dux took us around the clumped isotope lab. Clumped isotope work is based on the principle of differentiating isotopologues (molecules which have the same chemical composition but not isotopic composition), and requires extreme caution in order not to contaminate the end results.

Florian explains that the room temperature must be kept constant

Dr. Allen Chivas then took us around the other geochemical laboratories, giving us an overview of the mass spectrometers peppered around the facilities and the samples that go into these powerful machines. The suite of labs has massive analytical capabilities that allow scientists to answer palaeoenvironmental as well as archaeological questions.

Dr. Chivas explaining about the mass spectrometer

The University of Wollongong is home to one of the world's leading Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating laboratories and has produced many answers to significant archaeological questions, and we were privileged enough to be able to step inside. You enter through a revolving door, and once in the lab your eyes take a few seconds to adjust to the darkness and seeing everything in shades of red. Similar to a darkroom, the entire lab has to be kept free of all light except red wavelengths in order not to disturb the measurements. No pictures unfortunately, it was a bit too challenging to take any.

The group trooped down to the ground floor and had a look at the extensive field equipment owned by the department. With mountains and the sea almost at their doorstep, the field is just minutes' away.

Prof. Yokoyama with a Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) device

A walk through the school grounds with Dr. Chivas concluded the tour and we said our goodbyes before heading off to Sydney.

Thanks to the staff and students of the University of Wollongong!

Before we knew it we had arrived. Dinnertime was free and easy so the Yokoyama lab members headed off to explore, walking through the streets of a city all abuzz. I'd been in Sydney before but somehow the place had taken on a much more vibrant and high-paced persona and it was interesting to retrace old footsteps and see places both familiar and foreign. As the sun set over pizza and drinks in Darling Harbour, Prof. Yokoyama told us about his days as a Ph.D. student in Australia.

Sydney sightseeing

Dinner at Darling Harbour

Bright and early the next morning we stepped onto the grounds of the University of Sydney, heading straight for the Madsen Building which houses the School of Geosciences. Prof. Jody Webster gave us an overview of the work his Geocoastal Research group does, following which each member of his group gave us a more in-depth look at their research.

Introduction of earth science research at USyd by Prof. Webster

After a tour of the campus by Prof. Webster's students, we had lunch at one of the school cafés before heading to the Madsen basement, where Mr. Tom Savage gave us a tour of the geoscience facilities. In the Sedimentary Lab, we began a practical on how to log fossil reef cores. The ones we looked at were collected from all over the Indo-Pacific. At the start it was really tough to pick out the characteristics and link them to their formational history but with some help from the student demonstrators we gradually developed a bit of an eye for it. After having been at it for a few hours we trooped over to Herman's, where the two groups from UTokyo and USyd had enlightening conversations about coral research over drinks.

Looking at coral cores

Going through the samples

Drinks just minutes away

The next day we left with all our packed bags to Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, where our journey began. We had come full circle. The trip had lasted for just over a week, yet we had learnt such a immense amount. Many of us had never been overseas before, and it was a great eye-opening opportunity to explore universities, landscapes and cultures different to our own.

Debriefing by Prof. Yokoyama

Final photo before flying home to Japan

For us students, this Australia trip left an indelible mark on our memories. We were invited to peer into the geochemical laboratories at the very cutting edge of science, and were privileged enough to learn from scientists who have made significant findings and are continuing with their good work. On top on all this, we got a chance to incorporate field geology into the mix, giving us a holistic perspective of the real science being done. Every edition of the trip promises something different, fresh and undiscovered - like in science. Thanks so much to Prof. Yokoyama, without whom this trip and the ones preceding it wouldn't have been possible.

Journal Review 20 – 26 May 2015 (Nature, Science, Geology, Nature Geoscience, Nature Communications)

NATURE

1. Palaeontology: Gut microbes give good fossils

Nature 521, 263 (07 May 2015)

Proc. R. Soc. (2015)

SCIENCE

2. Structure and function of the global ocean microbiome

S. Sunagawa, L. P. Coelho, S. Chaffron et al.

Vol. 348 no. 6237 pp. 642-643

3. Dynamic thinning of glaciers on the Southern Antarctic Peninsula

B. Wouters, A. Martin-Español, V. Helm etc.

Vol. 348 no. 6237 pp. 899-903

GEOLOGY

4. Duration and dynamics of the best orbital analogue to the present interglacial

B. Giaccio, E. Regattieri, G. Zancheeta et al.

5. Long-term changes in precipitation recorded by magnetic minerals in speleothems

M. D. Bourne, J. M. Feinberg, B. E. Strauss et al.

v. 43, no. 5, p. 387-390

6. Climate, dust, and fire across the Eocene-Oligocene transition, Patagonia

P. A. Selkin, C. A. E. Strömberg et al.

NATURE GEOSCIENCE

7. Pacific origin of the abrupt increase in Indian Ocean heat content during the warming hiatus

S.-K. Lee, W. Park, Molly O. Baringer et al.

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS

8. Change in ocean subsurface environment to suppress tropical cyclone intensification under global warming

P. Huang, I.-I. Lin, C. Chou & R.-H. Huang 

Journal Review 13 – 19 May 2015 (Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Quaternary Geochronology)

EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS

1. Global variability of chromium isotopes in seawater demonstrated by Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic Ocean samples

Kathleen Scheiderich, Marghaleray Amini, Chris Holmden, Roger Francois

2. Radiogenic Nd isotope labelling of the northern NE Atlantic during MIS2

Natalie L. Roberts, Alexander M. Piotrowski

3. Iron isotope fractionation in sediments of an oligotrophic freshwater lake

Kai Liu, Lingling Wu, Raoul-Marie Couture, Weiqing Li, Philippe Van Cappellen

GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA

4. Stable (²⁰⁶Pb, ²⁰⁷Pb, ²⁰⁸Pb) and radioactive (²¹⁰Pb) lead isotopes in 1 year of growth of Sphagnum moss from four ombrotrophic bogs in southern Germany: Geochemical significance and environmental implications

William Shotyk, Heike Kempter, Michael Krachler and Claudio Zaccone

QUATERNARY GEOCHRONOLOGY

5. The Blake Event recorded near the Eemian type locality – A diachronic onset of the Eemian in Europe

Mark J. Sier, Jan Peeters, Mark J. Dekkers, Josep M. Parés, Liao Chang et al.

6. Geochemical analyses of air from an ancient debris-covered glacier, Antarctica

Audrey M. Yau, Michael L. Bender, David R. Marchant, Sean L. Mackay

7. Dating Pleistocene deltaic deposits using in-situ ²⁶Al and ¹⁰Be cosmogenic nuclides

Andrea Ciampalini, Cristina Persano, Derek Fabel and Marco Firpo

8. Depth-dependence of the production rate of in situ ¹⁴C in quartz from the Leymon High Core, Spain

M. Lupker, K. Hippe, L. Wacker et al.

Journal Review 6 – 12 May 2015 (Nature, Science, Geology, PNAS, Nature Geoscience, Nature Communications)

NATURE

1. Crust crunch leads to huge quakes

Nature 521, 9 (07 May 2015)

Nature Geosci. (2015)

2. Conservation: Fossils show extinction risk

Nature 521, 9 (07 May 2015)

Science 348, 567-570 (2015)

3. Water resources: Research network to track alpine water

John Pomeroy, Matthias Bernhardt & Daniel Marks

Nature 521, 32 (07 May 2015)

4. Curtain eruptions from Enceladus’ south-polar terrain

Joseph N. Spitale, Terry A. Hurford, Alyssa R. Rhoden, Emily E. Berkson & Symeon S. Platts

Nature 521, 57-60 (07 May 2015)

SCIENCE

5. The potential of secondary forests

F. Bongers, R. Chazdon, L. Poorter, M. Peña-Claros

Vol. 348 no. 6235 pp. 642-643

6. Conservation: Committing to ecological restoration

Katharine Suding, Eric Higgs, Margaret Palmer, J. Baird Callicott, Christopher B. Anderson, Matthew Baker, John J. Gutrich, Kelly L. Hondula, Matthew C. LaFevor, Brendon M. H. Larson, Alan Randall, J. B. Ruhl & Katrina Z. S. Schwartz

Vol. 348 no. 6235 pp. 638-640

GEOLOGY

7. Rapid exhumation in the Western Alps driven by slab detachment and glacial erosion

Matthew Fox, Frédéric Herman, Edi Kissling & Sean D. Willett

v. 43, no. 5, p. 379-382

8. Intense and widespread seismicity during the end-Triassic mass extinction due to emplacement of a large igneous province

Sofie Lindström, Gunver Krarup Pedersen, Bas van de Schootbrugge et al.

v. 43, no. 5, p. 387-390

9. Mid-Cretaceous High Arctic stratigraphy, climate, and Oceanic Anoxic Events

Jens O. Herrle, Claudia J. Schröder-Adams, William Davis et al.

v. 43, no. 5, p. 403-406

10. Mismatch of glacier extent and summer insolation in Southern Hemisphere mid-latitudes

Alice M. Doughty, Joerg M. Schaefer, Aaron E. Putnam et al.

v. 43, no. 5, p. 407-410

11. Global increase in plant carbon isotope fractionation following the Last Glacial Maximum caused by increase in atmospheric pCO₂

Brian A. Schubert & A. Hope Jahren

v. 43, no. 5, p. 435-438

PNAS

12. Persistent ecological shifts in marine molluscan assemblages across the end-Cretaceous mass extinction

Martin Aberhan & Wolfgang Kiessling

13. Uranium isotopes fingerprint biotic reduction

Malgorzata Stylo, Nadja Neubert, Yuheng Wang et al.

vol. 112 no. 18

NATURE GEOSCIENCE

14. High rates of organic carbon burial in fjord sediments globally

Richard W. Smith, Thomas S. Bianchi, Mead Allison, Candida Savage & Valier Galy

15. Future productivity and carbon storage limited by terrestrial nutrient availability

William R. Wieder, Cory C. Cleveland, W. Kolby Smith & Katherine Todd-Brown

16. Links between atmospheric carbon dioxide, the land carbon reservoir and climate over the past millennium

Thomas K. Bauska, Fortunat Joos, Alan C. Mix, Raphael Roth, Jinho Ahn & Edward J. Brook

Nature Geoscience 8, 383-387 (2015)

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS

17. Extreme ¹³C depletion of carbonates formed during oxidation of biogenic methane in fractured granite

Henrik Drake, Mats E. Åström, Christine Heim et al.

Nature Communications 6, 7030

18. The oldest record of ornithuromorpha from the early Cretaceous of China

Min Wang, Xiaoting Zheng, Jingmai K. O’Connor et al.

Nature Communications 6, 6987

Journal Review 15 – 21 April 2015 (AGU, EGU, GSA)

GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS

1. On the dynamical mechanisms explaining the western Pacific subsurface temperature build-up leading to ENSO events

Joan Ballester, Simona Bordoni, Desislava Petrova and Xavier Rodó

2. The impact of resolution on the representation of southeast Greenland barrier winds and katabatic flows

G. W. K. Moore, I. A. Renfrew, B. E. Harden and S. H. Mernild

3. Quantifying the net contribution of the historical Amazonian deforestation to climate change

Jean-François Exbrayat and Mathew Williams

PALEOCEANOGRAPHY

4. What do benthic δ13C and δ18O data tell us about Atlantic circulation during Heinrich Stadial 1?

Delia W. Oppo, William B. Curry and Jerry F. McManus

5. Correlating carbon and oxygen isotope events in early to middle Miocene shallow marine carbonates in the Mediterranean region using orbitally tuned chemostratigraphy and lithostratigraphy

Gerald Auer, Werner E. Piller, Markus Reuter and Mathias Harzhauser

GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA BULLETIN

6. Progressive environmental deterioration in northwestern Pangea leading to the latest Permian extinction

Stephen E. Grasby, Benoit Beauchamp, David P. G. Bond, Paul Wignall, Cristina Talavera, Jennifer M. Galloway, Karsten Piepjohn, Lutz Reinhardt and Dierk Blomeier

CLIMATE OF THE PAST

7. Carbon isotope (δ¹³C) excursions suggest times of major methane release during the last 14 kyr in Fram Strait, the deep-water gateway to the Arctic

C. Consolaro, T. L. Rasmussen, G. Panieri, J. Mienert, S. Bünz and K. Sztybor