Master thesis defense by Michelle Shu-Ting Lee

Title: Climate proxies based on the NEEM ice core for the Holocene period 4000-7000 years B2K: An integrated CFA and IEC method for NEEM brittle zone

Abstract: The NEEM ice core consists of a brittle zone (BZ) that correlates to part of the Holocene, between 4,000 to 7,000 years before present. This brittle zone potentially holds valuable information regarding climate during the Holocene, despite its susceptibility to damage during analysis. By using integrated CFA and ion exchange chromatography (IEC) techniques, this project investigates the brittle zone through various ionic species that serve as proxies for parameters such as wind speed, sea ice, and volcanic activity that together provide reasoned proxies and analysis of climate at the time. In this project, NEEM ice core samples of this period are sorted, decontaminated, prepped, and then tested. The output from ion chromatograph is translated to ultimately show concentrations of various ionic species. These results are compared with published datasets for several ions to provide verification and indication of true values. Specific areas of interests are further analyzed in greater detail to identify potential climate events or areas of higher seasonal intensity. No data has been available for the NEEM BZ until now and this study begins to unravel the NEEM BZ and Holocene