Early-Career Scientists Gain Essential Skills in Paleoclimate Data and Modeling Techniques听
Two Khalifa University PhD researchers from the Earth Sciences department have become the first from the UAE to attend the paleoclimatology summer school held annually in Urbino, Italy. The 20th edition of the Urbino Summer School in Paleoclimatology (USSP) consortium focuses on understanding the methods and models used to examine climate change through Earth History.听听
The two PhD researchers, Marwa Mohamed Shahid Vadakke Painkal and Indodeep Apurba Ghoshal, also presented their research, supervised by Dr. Aisha Al Suwaidi, Associate Professor, Earth Sciences department.听听
The researchers were among 80 climate scientists from 20 countries who convened in Urbino, Italy, to participate in a wide range of disciplines that contribute to our understanding of paleoclimate and paleoenvironment, including geochemistry, cyclostratigraphy and paleobiology. The international program allowed the students to explore paleoclimate data and discuss their research with some of the leading scientists in the field and other PhD researchers.听
In the 2024 edition, participants explored a range of topics including biogeochemical cycling, paleoclimatology, paleoenvironment, paleoceanography, cyclostratigraphy, and deep-time climate modeling, including Cretaceous Ocean Anoxic Events, Paleocene-Eocene hyperthermals, the Greenhouse-Icehouse transition, and Neogene and Quaternary climate dynamics.听听
The USSP program included lectures, symposia, and field trips organized and delivered by Professor Simone Galeotti, the University of Urbino, USSP co-director, and international climate scientists, whose research focuses on past climate dynamics, with a special emphasis on long-term carbon cycling and its implications for present and future climates.听
Painkal鈥檚 research focuses on the Late Triassic Carnian Pluvial Episode (CPE), a critical climate transition in Earth鈥檚 history marked by biotic changes, significant disruption of the carbon cycle, and shifts in climate from arid to wet and humid conditions much more similar to our modern climate. Through the utilization of multiple proxies, she seeks to constrain the timing and determine the potential mechanisms driving the event while also understanding the associated responses and recovery processes.听
Ghoshal is investigating biosphere changes in the Paleo-Antarctic during the Late Triassic (~230 million years ago). His research is primarily focused on the application of sedimentology and geochemistry, including biomarkers, to understand the evidence of wildfires in the Paleo-Antarctic circle during a relatively arid period in Earth鈥檚 history.听听听
First held in 2004, the USSP program is a hub for the international community studying natural climate variability, attracting early-career climate scientists and top researchers from around the world.听
Dr. Aisha Al Suwaidi said: 鈥淜halifa University is at the forefront of innovative research in Earth Sciences, focusing on critical areas such as paleoclimatology, climate dynamics, and biogeochemical processes. The Earth Sciences department is dedicated to understanding past climate changes and their implications for the future. By participating in the USSP program, the two researchers are not only contributing to the global knowledge base but also acquiring the skills to address pressing environmental challenges, fostering a new generation of scientists committed to sustainability and climate resilience.鈥澨�
The diverse lectures, symposia, and exercises helped participants in assessing research goals and objectives, shedding light on the existing methodologies in deep-time research. This internship is expected to encourage more robust findings in Geoscience, Paleoclimate and related disciplines, enhancing academic portfolio.听
Faculty in the Khalifa University鈥檚 Earth Sciences department conduct research and offer both undergraduate and postgraduate courses focused on Earth鈥檚 changing climate.听听
Alisha Roy
Science Writer
18 Sep 2024
