Whilst the Amazonian rainforest is in danger of dying, the “Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation” – in short AMOC and most commonly known as the Gulf Stream – is exhibiting a clear decrease in speed or maybe even a collapse. The AMOC’s behavior can influence the fate of the Amazonian rainforest. The reason for this is that individual factors of the earth’s climate system have points of changeover or tipping. If threshold values are exceeded, this can affect individual eco systems and the entire climate system. All of this can happen within a few centuries.

Research at the Transition Between Glacial and Interglacial Period

During his research stay at MARUM – Center for Marine environmental Sciences, Cristiano Mazur Chiessi will, together with his colleagues, investigate the interaction between these two components during the transition from the second to last glacial period and the following interglacial period, thus from 140,000 to 125,000 years ago. He will analyze marine sediment cores for this. They stem from the northeast coast of South America and have preserved the climatic and oceanographic development of both the Amazonian rainforest and the western equatorial Atlantic in sediment depositions.

Chiessi is already familiar with Bremen from his time as a PhD student. After having studies geology at the University of São Paulo (Brazil), he completed his doctoral studies in Bremen. He currently leads a research group specialized in paleoceanography and paleoclimate research at the University of São Paulo. In 2012/13 Cristian Mazur Chiessi was a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Delmenhorst.

Ulrike Prange

Further information:

http://each.uspnet.usp.br/p2l/?page_id=536
www.humboldt-foundation.de/web/home.html
www.uni-bremen.de/en/

Contact:

Prof. Dr. Cristiano Mazur Chiessi
MARUM – Center for Marine environmental Sciences of the University of Bremen
E-Mail: chiessiprotect me ?!uspprotect me ?!.br