Press Releases


June 29,2007
The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology

JAMSTEC and the University of Concepciõn in Chile Conclude Collaborative Research Agreement

The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC; Yasuhiro Kato, President) and the University of Concepciõn in Chile*1 have concluded collaborative research agreement today.

On this collaboration, coastal area of Chile is going to be studied mainly. Because of Humboldt Current*2, biological productivity (new production) in the area is very high, therefore it is the most important area in the world to study on biochemical /geochemical carbon cycle. In the past, a change of the land such as melting of Patagonian ice-sheet had a great impact on the marine environment variability. Analysis of paleoclimate/paleoceanographic record of samples obtained in this area will help us to understand climate change in the southern hemisphere and its impact on the global scale climate change.

After this agreement, by basic study of Chile coastal area in the southern hemisphere, a comparative study of palerocenaography, which is in the southern hemisphere and the northern hemisphere, will become possible. It is expected that understanding of climate change including periodicity, mechanism and impact on ecosystem will promote furthermore development of fundamental science research.

Description

1.Title: Fundamental study on paleoceanography and marine physics in Chile coastal area
2. Concluded between: JAMSTEC
Executive Director Mr. Tsutomu Imamura
The University of Concepciõn
President Mr. Sergio Lavanchy Merino
3.Details  

Collaborative Research on the following major tasks

  • Reconstruction of environmental change in Chile coastal area by high time resolution. (Collect samples of marine sediment and measure paleoenvironmental proxy, and perform detailed reconstruction of environmental changes such as sea surface temperature, salinity, and biological productivity.)
  • Collect information of a yearly to decadal climate or seasonal variability in Chile coastal sea and land area.
  • Analyze mechanism of climate variation changed by few decades to centurial cycle. (Compare phenomenon in southern hemisphere to that in north hemisphere that alternate between warming and cooling.)
  • Confirm heat and material transportation made by Antarctic Overturn*4 and elucidate its long-term variation.
4. Period: June 26, 2007 through March 31, 2010 (2 years and 9 months)

*1 The University of Concepciõn: The first regional university in Chile established in 1919. For national development, it aimed to be the source to offer various fields of information including science, literature and philosophy, other than the professional education of humanities.
*2 Humboldt Current: Cold current which goes toward north off Chile from Antarctic Ocean along the south American west coast line. Nutrient is supplied from sub-surface by up-welling just beneath this current system.
*3 Patagonian ice-sheet : Ice filed developed in Patagonia at the last glacial maximum (approximately 20,000 years ago). In global deglacial period (approximately 15,000 years ago) after the last glacial period, it melted and supplied a great amount of freshwater to the sea area at south off Chile.
*4 Antarctic Overturn: Transportation of water mass. Ocean General Circulation is cooled around Antarctic area and transported downward to be Antarctic intermediate water or deep water and goes back to the ocean around the world including the Pacific or the Indian Ocean.

Contacts:

(For the Collaborative Research)
Mr. Tatsunosuke Tsuzuku, email: info-iorgc@jamstec.go.jp
Manager, Research Promotion Office, IORGC
(For the Publication)
Mr. Shinji Oshima, email: press@jamstec.go.jp
Manager, Planning Department, Press Office