PaleopCO2 - A Scientifically Rigorous and Accessible CO2 Keeling Curve For Geologic Time

DESCRIPTION: An NSF funded Research Coordination Network (RCN) brought together experts in paleo-pCO2 reconstructions from terrestrial and marine archives, to discuss discrepancies between different reconstructions and find solutions to improve the various estimates. One of the outcomes of this RCN is the set-up of a paleo-CO2 database, which forms the foundation for the proposed website. The proposed paleo-CO2.org website will be developed with a postdoc (Ross Whiteford) who already has a deep understanding of the role of greenhouse gases in climate change, and who is trained in handling large datasets. The postdoc will collaborate closely with a paleo-CO2 expert steering committee and the geoinformatics team at LDEO. The goal is to provide an easily accessible platform for scientists seeking to find the best available paleo-CO2 estimates and calculation routines, but also educational information for teachers, policy makers and the general public, who seek to better understand the link between greenhouse gases, climate change, and how we can reconstruct these properties in the past.