This project has reconstructed past temperature from samples of a sediment core using the brGDGT (branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether) paleotemperature proxy. The Darwin Crater was chosen as our study site since the sediment record found there spans approximately the last 800,000 years, consisting of multiple glacial-interglacial cycles, and thus, is a powerful archive for paleoclimatic reconstructions. Our results, which successfully describe the changes in past temperature during the transition from a glacial period to an interglacial period, contribute to the further understanding of the paleoclimate and paleoenvironment in Tasmania and reinforce the scientific community’s understanding of brGDGTs as a proxy for temperature.
A poster deriving from Special studies with Gregory de Wet, Assistant Professor of Geosciences.