GSA Special Session

T41. High-Resolution Terrestrial and Marine Geochemical Proxies of Global Change: Problems, Progress and Utility (see rationale below), aims to highlight new research from terrestrial and aquatic (marine and freshwater) environmental and climatic proxies. We have commitments from invited speaks which will present data from diverse substrates such as corals (Hali Kilbourne), tree-rings (Kevin Anchukaitis) and bivalves/ otoliths (Anne Lorrain).

The abstract deadline is fast approaching (August 11!) and we hope that you will consider submitting an abstract to what is likely to be a stimulating and informative session. More information about the meeting can be found here: http://www.geosociety.org/meetings/2009/ 

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us.  

Best regards,
David Gillikin (Vassar College)
Alan Wanamaker (Iowa State University)

*SESSION RATIONALE: *
High-resolution elemental, isotopic, and growth data preserved in bioarchives and inorganic carbonates are important proxies of environmental, ecological, and physiological conditions throughout geologic time. However, many of these proxies still need to be calibrated/validated with instrumental records before they can be confidently utilized in paleoenvironmental studies. We would like to attract papers utilizing geochemical signals in biological carbonates (e.g., molluscs, brachiopods, corals, sponges, algae), abiogenic carbonates (e.g., speleothems) and other bioarchives (e.g., trees), which can be used to study past environmental change at high-resolution. Studies focusing the life history and ecology of these organisms and/or the calibration and validation of these potential geochemical proxies are also welcome. Unfortunately, many research groups which focus on one substrate (e.g., molluscs) do not intermingle with researchers working on other substrates (e.g., trees).  The objective of this topical session is to convene the paleo-community with geochemists, and biologists working on diverse substrates to present recent findings on the nature, interpretation, and utility of such geochemical archives.