Nicholas Herold

PhD Candidiate

Madsen Building (F09), Room 412
Phone: +61 2 9036 6545
Fax: +61 2 9036 6588
Email:


Supervisors
Prof Dietmar Müller
A/Prof Matthew Huber
Dr Maria Seton
Dr Alina Hale

Research

PhD Title: Early to middle Miocene Earth system modelling.

My research focuses on modelling Miocene climate using the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Climate System Model (CCSM), with a specific focus on warming during the early to middle Miocene. Reliable prediction of future climate change is limited by our ability to reliably model and quantify past climate change events, therefore it is important that climate models are able to match climate proxy data for past time periods. Additionally, the early to middle Miocene represents a possible paradox in Earth’s climate history; temperatures were high although atmospheric pCO2 was comparable to the present day (though predictions vary widely). Comprehensive modelling of early to middle Miocene climate using an Earth system model – or coupled climate model – has not been conducted to complement the variety of observational data that have been collected. Thus it is the aim of my project to remedy this and to quantify Miocene warming inside a modelling framework, while in the process identifying possible mechanisms contributing to Miocene warmth.