Duncan Dale

Research area

I am a PhD student from the UK with an Earth Sciences background with extensive experience in physical oceanography, geology and geochemistry. Coming from a maritime nation, I have always had a deep fascination with the ocean, which I understand to be the engine of Earth surface change and have oriented my work and studies towards it whenever possible. Having studied ancient changes to ocean geochemistry for many years, I am excited to now be directly measuring and assessing the changes happening today to this key component of the Earth's response to climate change. My work involves weeks-long expeditions at sea taking samples where I think they will be the most informative and exciting.

My contribution to the group is in understanding ocean circulation between the Arctic and North Atlantic oceans where we find the "pumps" driving deep water formation and the subsequent impetus behind the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. I am using anthropogenic radionuclides from nuclear tests and waste such as ¹²⁹I, ²³⁶U and tritium and gas tracers such as CFCs and SF6 to trace the complex ocean circulations in this key region to better understand the inputs, outputs and internal dynamics of this crucial Arctic gateway. I am privilaged to be able to use the Accelerator Mass Spectrometers (AMS) at the Laboratory of Ion-beam Physics (LIP) to measure some of these tracers in seawater samples in minute quantities.