Ze Tao

“Using foraminifera to study paleoclimate and climate change. ”

PhD project title:

Late Miocene climatic and biotic response: high-resolution records from the IODP Site U1338 and ODP Site 1148.

Project description:

The project is to investigate the nature and variability of late Miocene climate in east and west Pacific. Furthermore, this study aims to investigate changes in the thermal structure of the Pacific Ocean during late Miocene to examine Pacific Ocean circulation. This is achieved through high resolution planktonic and benthic foraminiferal stable isotope analysis. In order to assess the reliability of these new records this study will go on to document the taxonomy and palaeobiology of Miocene tropical planktonic and benthic foraminifera in east and west Pacific and their response to times of climatic stress.

Ze Tao finishes her undergraduate and MSc in China University of Geosciences (Beijing). Her master thesis is about gravity flow system in South China Sea using seismic data. She is funded by China Scholarships Council - UCL studentship award