Work Plan 



The CLIMAP project seeks to answer these 

 important questions through the study of 

 deep-sea sediments. When compared to the 

 scanty record kept by man on changes in the 

 oceans and atmosphere, the layers of sediment 

 on the seafloor provide a rich source of data. 

 Indeed, an excellent chronological record has 

 been captured in the ocean-bottom sediment 

 cores which are preserved in marine geologi- 

 cal archives (Figure 12]. Recent advances in 

 dating techniques, automated analyses of indi- 

 vidual sediment cores and computer correla- 

 tion of the many features in the sediment 

 strata make it possible to generate global-scale 

 summaries of past sea surface conditions. 



Paleo-oceanographic maps are being con- 

 structed for four selected periods: 6,000 years 

 ago (the post-glacial thermal maximum), 

 17,000 years ago (the last glacial stage), 

 120,000 years (the last interglacial stage), and 

 700,000 years ago (the mid-Pleistocene base). 

 Comparable maps for the present form the 

 basis for interpretation. Presently available 

 core archives are adequate to provide sample 

 material for the study. The general plan of 

 research work includes: 



ture and salinity of bottom and surface 

 ocean waters. 



The methodology described above has been 

 applied to produce a map of the sea surface 

 temperatures in the North Atlantic 17,000 

 years ago. It is interesting to compare this 

 pattern, illustrated in Figure .., with that 

 presently observed in the North Atlantic (Fig- 

 ure 13). Such maps can now be used as an 

 input to, or a check of, the product of numeri- 

 cal models. 



Program Management 



This is an integrated project in which some 

 data are produced by many individual spe- 

 cialists and experts, but in which data inter- 

 pretation is a joint effort of all participants. 

 Coordination is achieved by a management 

 structure consisting of an executive commit- 

 tee and a number of task groups. The Execu- 

 tive Committee consists of five members who: 

 1) assume overall responsibility for the proj- 

 ect; 2) coordinate and assure the free flow of 

 information among institutions; 3) assure co- 

 ordination among task groups; and 4) set and 

 implement policy. 



d. 



A survey of existing core collections to 

 determine those most suitable for use as 

 the base grid for the paleo-oceanographic 

 study. This consisted primarily of rou- 

 tine paleontological examinations and 

 was completed during the first year of 

 the project; 



The acquisition and initial interpretation 

 of paleontological, sedimentological, and 

 geochemical data on suitable grids for 

 all "time" levels; 



Extension and consolidation of present 

 work on quantitative relationships be- 

 tween the oceanic environment and 

 sediment properties is followed by mul- 

 tivariate analysis to provide interpreta- 

 tive paleo-oceanographic maps for each 

 level; 



The close coordination of the results of 

 this study with those of the ongoing ex- 

 amination of Greenland and Antarctic 

 ice cores. These comparisons promise 

 to yield critical information regarding 

 high latitude glacial and interglacial cli- 

 mates and their effect on the tempera- 



Figure 12 



24 



