Nick McCave
Encyclopedia
Ian Nicholas McCave, was the Woodwardian Professor of Geology
at the University of Cambridge
Department of Earth Sciences
and a fellow of St John's College
from 1985 to 2008. His current research topic is "The Sediment Record of the Deep-Sea Circulation" in the area of "Environmental change and marine geochemistry". He is primarily a marine sedimentologist.
combined with carbon dating
, to obtain information on pre-historical climate change
. It is important to understand the normal cycles of climate change, in order to assess the degree to which the global warming we are experiencing now is caused by man, and the likely consequences by analysis of past analogues. One problem is the interaction between atmospheric climate change and the observed changes in the ocean current
s. There is a 'chicken and egg' question: are the perturbations seen in atmospheric CO2 concentrations forced by the vigour of the deep ocean currents, or vice versa?
McCave uses monitoring points in the North Atlantic Ocean
, Pacific Ocean
and Indian Ocean
to study how the Earth’s meridional heat flux is distributed by warm surface-ocean currents and cold deep-ocean currents.
Woodwardian Professor of Geology
The Woodwardian Professor of Geology is a professorship held in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Cambridge. It was founded by John Woodward in 1728...
at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
Department of Earth Sciences
University of Cambridge Department of Earth Sciences
The Department of Earth Sciences at Cambridge is the University of Cambridge's Earth Sciences department. The main location of the department is at the Downing Site, Downing St. The Bullard Laboratories, located in West Cambridge on Madingley Rd, and the Godwin Laboratory, in the New Museums Site...
and a fellow of St John's College
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
from 1985 to 2008. His current research topic is "The Sediment Record of the Deep-Sea Circulation" in the area of "Environmental change and marine geochemistry". He is primarily a marine sedimentologist.
Research Summary
70% of the Earth is covered by water, so information about the marine environment is vital in understanding how the Earth's surface system works. Nick McCave's research looks at perturbations in the deep oceans, using evidence from micro-fossilsForaminifera
The Foraminifera , or forams for short, are a large group of amoeboid protists which are among the commonest plankton species. They have reticulating pseudopods, fine strands of cytoplasm that branch and merge to form a dynamic net...
combined with carbon dating
Radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating is a radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring radioisotope carbon-14 to estimate the age of carbon-bearing materials up to about 58,000 to 62,000 years. Raw, i.e. uncalibrated, radiocarbon ages are usually reported in radiocarbon years "Before Present" ,...
, to obtain information on pre-historical climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
. It is important to understand the normal cycles of climate change, in order to assess the degree to which the global warming we are experiencing now is caused by man, and the likely consequences by analysis of past analogues. One problem is the interaction between atmospheric climate change and the observed changes in the ocean current
Ocean current
An ocean current is a continuous, directed movement of ocean water generated by the forces acting upon this mean flow, such as breaking waves, wind, Coriolis effect, cabbeling, temperature and salinity differences and tides caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun...
s. There is a 'chicken and egg' question: are the perturbations seen in atmospheric CO2 concentrations forced by the vigour of the deep ocean currents, or vice versa?
McCave uses monitoring points in the North Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
and Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
to study how the Earth’s meridional heat flux is distributed by warm surface-ocean currents and cold deep-ocean currents.
Research Groups
- Glaciology and Quaternary Science research cluster
- Godwin LaboratoryUniversity of Cambridge Godwin LaboratoryThe Godwin Laboratory is a research facility at the University of Cambridge. It was originally set up to investigate radiocarbon dating and its applications, and was one of the first laboratories to determine a radiocarbon calibration curve...
for Palaeoclimate Research
Selected Biography
- 1969 - 1985: Lecturer (until 1976), Reader (until 1985) at the University of East AngliaUniversity of East AngliaThe University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
School of Environmental Sciences - 1978 - 1999: Adjunct Scientist (until 1987), Guest Investigator (1999) at Woods Hole Oceanographic InstitutionWoods Hole Oceanographic InstitutionThe Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is a private, nonprofit research and higher education facility dedicated to the study of all aspects of marine science and engineering and to the education of marine researchers. Established in 1930, it is the largest independent oceanographic research...
- 1988 - 1998: Head of the Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of Cambridge Department of Earth SciencesThe Department of Earth Sciences at Cambridge is the University of Cambridge's Earth Sciences department. The main location of the department is at the Downing Site, Downing St. The Bullard Laboratories, located in West Cambridge on Madingley Rd, and the Godwin Laboratory, in the New Museums Site...
, University of Cambridge - 1985 - 2008: Woodwardian Professor of GeologyWoodwardian Professor of GeologyThe Woodwardian Professor of Geology is a professorship held in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Cambridge. It was founded by John Woodward in 1728...
, University of Cambridge
Other Professional Activities
- 2003 - 05: Member of the Steering Committee for NERCNatural Environment Research CouncilThe Natural Environment Research Council is a British research council that supports research, training and knowledge transfer activities in the environmental sciences.-History:...
's Rapid Climate Change programme - 2003–present: Member of the Steering Committee for NERCNatural Environment Research CouncilThe Natural Environment Research Council is a British research council that supports research, training and knowledge transfer activities in the environmental sciences.-History:...
's Abrupt Climate Change programme - 2001 and 2008: Member of the UK Research Assessment Exercise panel for Earth and Environmental Sciences