Amy Hsieh

Areas of interest

Assessing paleoclimate cyclicity using Pliocene sedimentary record to refine future projections of tropical cyclone frequencies and intensities

The purpose of my research is to evaluate the sedimentology of early Pliocene strata (Kueichulin Formation) in the Western Foreland Basin, Taiwan. The Pliocene is the most recent time period in Earth’s history when atmospheric carbon dioxide is estimated to have exceeded 400 ppm, making the Pliocene an ideal time period for assessing climate-induced changes on future Earth. Cyclostratigraphic analysis of the rock record will be used to assess changes in sea level due to climate change, and paleomagnetic characterization will be used to constrain time at high resolution. Climate cycles identified will be compared to d13C and C:N ratios of organic material in mudstone beds that will be sampled through the described sections. These geochemical proxies can be used to determine sediment sources, and from this I will be able to estimate variations in the intensity of extreme weather events during the last time period when Earth’s climate was as CO2-rich as it is today.