NSF Org:	AGS Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences
Recipient:	THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON
Initial Amendment Date:	April 9, 2004
Latest Amendment Date:	April 9, 2004
Award Number:	0402010
Award Instrument:	Standard Grant
Program Manager:	David Verardo AGS  Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences GEO  Directorate for Geosciences
Start Date:	May 1, 2004
End Date:	October 31, 2006 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount:	$392,412.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date:	$392,412.00
Funds Obligated to Date:	FY 2004 = $392,412.00
History of Investigator:	John Peck (Principal Investigator) jpeck@uakron.edu
Recipient Sponsored Research Office:	University of Akron 302 BUCHTEL COMMON AKRON OH  US  44325-0001 (330)972-2760
Sponsor Congressional District:	13
Primary Place of Performance:	University of Akron 302 BUCHTEL COMMON AKRON OH  US  44325-0001
Primary Place of Performance Congressional District:	13
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI):	DFNLDECWM8J8
Parent UEI:	DFNLDECWM8J8
NSF Program(s):	GLOBAL CHANGE
Primary Program Source:	app-0104
Program Reference Code(s):	1304, 1530, 4444, EGCH
Program Element Code(s):	157700
Award Agency Code:	4900
Fund Agency Code:	4900
Assistance Listing Number(s):	47.050

ABSTRACT

This award is to augment $1.2M in operational funds from the International Continental Drilling Program (ICDP) to obtain multiple lake cores for paleoclimatic analyses from Lake Bosumtwi, a meteorite impact crater located in the tropical forest lowlands of Ghana, West Africa. The researchers aim to produce a multi-proxy and inter-annual to millennial scale record of climate change over the last ~1.0 million years (Ma).

The data derived from the cores will be examined for potential linkages among climate from the North Atlantic, Africa, and the Asia regions. The lake is located beneath the seasonal passage of the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and is hydrologically closed with deep anoxic waters that preserve annual laminations. Previous research by the team has yielded seismic profiles that documented the impact origin of the crater while analyses of previously recovered piston sediment cores produced an 800-year record of environmental data. These cores have shown that the intensity of the African summer monsoon decreased during the Younger Dryas and during Heinrich 1 and 2 climatic events.

The new sites will drill through multiple warm interglacial periods and will further the paleoclimate community's broader understand of climate variability from the Tropics. This research will be carried out in full collaboration with Ghanaian scientists to support capacity building and technology transfer between the US scientists and their Ghanaian colleagues. The research funds will also support American graduate students and provide them with a unique research experience.

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