Reconstruction of past environmental changes in the Azores based on lacustrine diatom sedimentary records

Objectivo

This proposal aims to characterize sedimentary diatom records as part of a paleoenvironmental reconstruction study in Azores archipelago. Long-term changing conditions in lakes Empadadas Norte (S. Miguel island) and Peixinho (Pico island) will be identified using several proxies. This kind of reconstruction will allow us the differentiation of signals from anthropogenic, volcanic and climate impacts over the past 1000 years. Correlations to environmental drivers will be able to define the historic range of variability in these ecosystems. Furthermore, this paleoenvironmental reconstruction aims to establish reference conditions in the study lakes and assess the degree of deviation from pristine conditions, responding to the needs of Water Framework Directive (WFD) conservation goals and the establishment of management strategies.

The diatom data resulting from this PhD project will be integrated in a multiproxy approach with other proxy records in the framework of two international funded research projects: PALEONAO project – “The role of NAO in Western Europe climate variability during the Late Glacial and Holocene based on Iberian and Azores Island lake cores and climate instrumental data” (Ministry of Education and Science of Spain – reference number: CGL2010-15767) and RAPIDNAO project- “The NAO reconstruction during the Holocene Rapid Climate Change” (Ministry of Education and Science of Spain reference number: CGL2013-40608-R).