Paleoclimatic and Paleoceanographic reconstruction of the Pleistocene – Holocene through the study of planktonic foraminifera of two sediment cores, collected in the Atlantic Ocean, southwestward of the Azores Islands (OCEANOGRAFLU Geological survey, June 2013)

The study of climate and oceanographic setting in the recent past plays and important role to prevent what we can expect for the future. This research project is based on the study of two sedimentary cores (ATA13-OF-KT1 and ATA13-OF-KT18), collected during OCEANOGRAFLU 2013 oceanographic survey in Atlantic Ocean, southwestward of the Azores Islands, near the Mid-Atlantic ridge. In agreement with members of Paleobiodiversity and Paleoenvironmental Research Center belonging to the Department of Earth History (MNHN) of Paris, I’ll have to study these two cores, under the supervision of Prof. Annachiara Bartolini, member of this research unit, and Prof. Antonio Caruso (DiSTeM, University of Palermo). This research project is based on the analysis of percentages of abundance of planktonic foraminiferal assemblages, contained in these sedimentary cores. The aim is to establish the combined effects of climatic changes and ridge activity on planktonic foraminiferal assemblages, during the Upper Pleistocene – Holocene. These two cores will be sliced every cm and the obtained samples will be analyzed in order to recognize the composition of planktonic foraminiferal assemblages and to estimate the fluctuation in abundance of each species, by counting of 300 specimens for sample. Furthermore geochemical analysis will be performed, regarding: · Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca calcite ratios of foraminiferal shells; · Isotopic composition of foraminiferal shells, regarding δ18O and δ13C; · Radiometric dating (14C) to define a correct “age-model”. All these data will be correlated to carry out a paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic reconstruction and in order to obtain an “event stratigraphy” of this sector of the Atlantic Ocean, during the Upper Pleistocene – Holocene.