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The University of Chicago Department of Geophysical Sciences

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Pamela Martin

Pamela Martin

 

Assistant Professor, Department of the Geophysical Sciences and the College

Phone: 773/834-5245
E-mail: pmartin at uchicago.edu
Office: HGS 451

 

Research Interests

My research broadly focuses on reconstructing changes in deep ocean temperature, chemistry, and ocean circulation using variations in microfossil geochemistry as proxy data for climate change. The goal is to understand the role of the oceans in the carbon cycle and climate change as well as to document natural climate variation.

My interest in past climate change and an interest in environmental issues has recently drawn me towards issues within environmental science related to present climate change and disruption of natural biogeochemical cycles, including the carbon cycle and greenhouse gas emissions. My focus in this area has been on the impact of agriculture at regional and national scales. I have been exploring this research primarily through my teaching. For a link to one of the projects I am pursuing in this area see: http://feedingthecity.uchicago.edu.

Some general areas of interest include:

  • Reconstruction of glacial-interglacial changes in deep ocean temperature, circulation and chemistry using multiple paleotracers
  • Using coupled models of ocean circulation and chemistry (including sediments) to investigate scenarios consistent with paleo-records of ocean and atmospheric chemistry
  • Studies of living and recently living benthic foraminifera to develop new proxies and refine existing proxies of deep ocean chemistry and temperature (such as Mg, Sr, Ba, Ca, Mn and U in biogenic carbonates)

 

Education:

  • Ph.D. Geological Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara (2000)

 

Publications (summary of abstracts from publications)

Martin, P., Archer, D. and Lea, D. W. (In review) The role of deep sea temperature in the carbon cycle over the last glacial, Paleoceanography. Abstract

Archer, D., Martin, P., Milovich, J., Brovkin, V., and Ashendel, C. (2003) Effect of Antarctic sea ice and stratification on atmospheric pCO2: A box model artifact? Paleoceanography, 18(1), 1012, doi:10.1029/2002PA000760. Abstract .pdf journal-link

Martin, P.A. and Lea, D.W. (2002) A simple evaluation of cleaning procedures on fossil benthic foraminiferal Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca, Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 3, doi:2002GC000280. Abstract .pdf journal-link

Martin, P.A., Lea, D.W., Rosenthal, Y., Shackleton, N. J., Sarnthein, M., and Papenfuss, T. (2002) Quaternary deep sea temperature histories derived from benthic foraminiferal Mg/Ca, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 198(1-2), 193-209. Abstract .pdf journal-link

Lea, D.W., Martin, P.A., Pak, D. and Spero, H.J. (2002) Reconstructing a 350 ky history of sea level using planktonic Mg/Ca and oxygen isotope records from a Cocos Ridge core, Quaternary Science Reviews 21, 283-293. Abstract journal-link

Archer, D. and Martin, P. (2001) Thin walls tell the tale, Perspectives: Ocean Circulation, Science, 294, 2108-2109.

Martin, P. A., D. W. Lea, T. A. Mashiotta, T. Papenfuss and M. Sarnthein (1999) Variation of foraminiferal Sr/Ca over Quaternary glacial-interglacial cycles: Evidence for changes in mean ocean Sr/Ca? Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., vol. 1, Paper number 1999GC000006 [see Editors’Choice:Oceanography, Science287(5460), 1889]. Abstract .pdf journal-link

Martin, P.A. and Lea, D.W. (1998) Comparison of water mass changes derived from Cd/Ca and carbon isotope records: Implications for changing Ba composition of deep Atlantic water masses, Paleoceanography 13(6), 572-585. Abstract .pdf journal-link

Lea, D.W. and Martin P.A. (1996) A rapid mass spectrometric method for the simultaneous analysis of barium, cadmium and strontium in foraminifera shells, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 60, 3143-3149.

McCorkle, D.C., Martin, P.A., Lea, D.W. and Klinkhammer, G.P. (1995) Evidence of a dissolution effect on benthic shell chemistry: d13C, Cd/Ca, Ba/Ca, and Sr/Ca from the Ontong Java Plateau, Paleoceanography 10(4), 699-714. Abstract .pdf journal-link

Lea, D.W., Martin P.A., Chan, D.A., and Spero, H.J. (1995) Calcium uptake and calcification rate in the planktonic foraminifer Orbulina universa, J. Foram. Res. 25(1), 185-206.


 
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