FluidMICS

In the FluidMICS project we employ a novel technique to reconstruct past temperatures based on physical properties of relict drip water preserved in cave formations (speleothems). The behavior of such micrometer-scale fluid inclusions during cooling and heating is directly related to the temperature at which the inclusions were once closed off. This physical basis makes the method uniquely robust and distinguishes it from other paleo-thermometers that depend on empirical calibrations. Combined with the distinct advantages of speleothems, which cover long time periods and can be absolutely dated, this approach leads to new insights into magnitude, timing, and distribution of past temperature changes. In the project, we both further develop the method itself, investigating its limitations and potential for improvements, and generate new climate records for various locations and time intervals. The new datasets will serve to better understand the complexities of our climate system under different atmospheric CO concentrations and in times of rapid change, and to test climate models used for future projections.