Prof. Elisabeth Sikes and post-doctoral fellow Tom Williams (University of Florida) sample a sediment core during the CROCCA-2S (Coring to reconstruct ocean circulation and carbon-dioxide across two seas) voyage to the Southern Ocean in 2018.
Elisabeth Sikes, professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, is the 2020 recipient of the AGU’s Cesare Emiliani Lecture, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of paleoceanography. The annual lecture honors the life and work of the renowned paleoceanographer, Cesare Emiliani, considered to be the founder of the fields of paleoclimatology and paleoceanography.
Sikes will deliver her lecture, titled “The Southern Ocean’s role in glacial cycles: Engine not caboose?” on December 8 during the virtual AGU Fall meeting.
The presenter of the Cesare Emiliani Lecture is chosen jointly by the Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology section and the Ocean Sciences section of the AGU. Previously the American Geophysical Union but now known by its acronym, AGU is a scientific association of 60,000 members who form a global network of scientists working in Earth and space science.
Liz Sikes on board the RV Thomas Thompson in 2018 during the CROCCA-2s voyage to the Southern Indian Ocean. Ile Amsterdam, in the background is one of the most remote islands in the Southern Ocean.
Sikes’ research centers on the intersection of the carbon cycle and climate change. On long time scales, the deep circulation of the ocean has an important role in controlling climate by controlling the amount of the CO2in the atmosphere. The Southern Ocean is one of the most important locations for the exchange of CO2between the atmosphere and ocean. Sikes has been studying the Southern Ocean to determine its role in the global carbon cycle for more than two decades.
Each year, sections of AGU recognize outstanding work within their scientific discipline by hosting named lecture presentations. Awardees who represent some of the most innovative minds in their disciplines are chosen for their meritorious work toward the advancement and promotion of discovery in Earth and space science.
