Lake Issyk-Kul
Kyrgystan
The sedimentary record of the Lake Issyk-kul in the NW Tien Shan holds a long climatic history for this environmentally sensitive region. Scientists plan to examine the sediment records of the lake, focusing on the time frame through the Pliocene and into the late (and maybe middle) Miocene. The sediment archive provides insight into:
- glacial history in the hinterland 2-3 Ma, 150 -10 ka
- vegetation history, diversity patterns as a reaction on specific climate states,
- dust mobilization as a reaction on changed atmospheric patterns
- erosional history for different time windows, like since 10 Ma, 4 Ma, and 150 ka
The erosional history will be a focus of interest as an expression both of regional and global climate manifested by prevailing westerly winds, the Arctic vortex, and the Siberian High Pressure System, and of local tectonic development. Accordingly, we consider local changes in the catchment area due to orographic changes.
The data base gathered for the Issyk-Kul archive, not just alone but especially when compared with other regional and global paleoclimatic records, will lead towards a better understanding of the connection between regional climatic change holding information on the development, contribution and integration of the Central Asian climate system with its specific components contributing the evolution of global climate.
Location: 42° 30' N, 77° 30' E
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Positions Open
DOSECC seeks a President and a Director of Scientific Drilling.
