Mr Kyle Taylor, BSc (Hons)
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Background
I graduated from the University of Plymouth in 2007 with a BSc (Hons) in Analytical Chemistry. My final year project involved analysing the reactions undergone by amino acids during the acid hydrolysis process. I also undertook a short term work placement within the Plymouth university Petroleum and Environmental Geochemistry Group, aiding the analysis of novel chemical biomarkers from diatoms in Artic sediment cores, with the aim of determining past occurrence of polar sea ice.
I started my PhD in October of 2007, under the supervision of Dr Rich Pancost and funded by NERC.
Research
In recent years, climate change has become one of the most important scientific focuses, in terms of wider socio-economic and environmental implications. It is therefore of great importance that the mechanisms behind climate change are as well understood as possible.
One of the driving forces behind understanding climate change is the study of past climates, particularly of events marking abrupt changes or relatively extreme conditions. Understanding the causes of these paleoclimatic conditions and the planet’s subsequent recoveries may allow more accurate predictions for future climate.
My research will involve developing sea surface temperature and pCO2 records for the period between 60 and 40Ma, representing the transition from the ice-free, high carbon dioxide ‘greenhouse world’ of the Cretaceous and early Paleogene to the colder, low carbon dioxide ‘icehouse world’ in which we live today. This will be achieved by analysing organic biomarkers (e.g. algal and crenarchaeal lipids) in deep ocean sediments and marine sediments, particularly from high southern latitude sites.