Quaternary Palaeoclimatology at the Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki

Current research consists of projects that focus on various aspects of Quaternary palaeoclimatology and use different proxy and modelling tools.

QVR Quantitative vegetation reconstructions, 2010-2013, funded by the Academy of Finland.

CARBO-North (Quantifying the Carbon Budget in Northern Russia, 2006-2010). Project funded by the European Union (FP-6) and led by P. Kuhry, University of Stockholm.

SOKLI: Weichselian climate variability in Scandinavia based on a unique sediment sequence preserved at Sokli (2006-2008). Funded by SKB/Posiva and led by K. Helmens, University of Stockholm.

BIOAPATITE (Geochemical Isotope Records in Biogenic Apatites as Proxy data for Past Environmental Changes). The project aims to recover information on past climatic and -ecologic changes using the isotopic composition of oxygen, carbon and strontium in various biogenic apatites, mainly subfossil mammal teeth and bones. The project comprises reconstructions of Late Pleistocene palaeotemperatures in Finland and Sweden and of palaeoenvironmental changes on Wrangel Island and the Baltic Basin. The project is funded by the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, Vilho, Yrjö and Kalle Väisälä Foundation, and coordinated by Laura Arppe.

Holocene climate dynamics in Sweden: A novel approach based on pollen and modern quantitative techniques (2001-2005) is a NFR (Swedish Research Council) funded project that aims to use modern and fossil pollen records and modern quantitative techniques in order to produce a pollen-climate calibration model and to reconstruct Holocene climate history of Sweden. Project is coordinated by Heikki Seppä.

REBECCA (Responses of Boreal ECosystem CArbon exchange to changing environment in different spatio-temporal scales 2005-2007) brings together experts on atmospheric sciences, micrometeorology, hydrobiology, ecophysiology, palaeoclimatology, and environmental sciences. The focus is on cross-disciplinary aspects of carbon exchange by boreal ecosystems. REBECCA is funded by Helsinki University Environmental Research Centre and coordinated by professor Timo Vesala, Department of Physical Sciences.

ACCROTELM (Abrupt Climate Changes Recorded Over The European Land Mass: multi-proxy records of Late-Holocene climate variability in Europe, and N Atlantic teleconnections 2003-2006) is a project supported by the European Commission under the Fifth Framework Programme, coordinated by professor Frank Chambers, University of Gloucestershire, UK. Project partners include 10 co-operating institutions. ACCROTELM will refine and apply existing techniques of plant macrofossil and peat humification analysis to peat cores; it will use testate amoebae as a pan-European climate proxy, explore development of a new biomolecular temperature proxy and quantify carbon balance. Heikki Seppä is the national coordinator of ACCROTELM in Finland.

HOT (High-resolution reconstructions of HOlocene Temperature and the atmospheric circulation patterns in eastern Europe 2005-2008) combines modern quantitative pollen-based climatic reconstructions with stable isotope records from calcareous lacustrine sediments in order to investigate the long-term behaviour of atmospheric circulation and climatic change in Finland, Baltic countries and European Russia. Project is funded by the Academy of Finland and coordinated by Heikki Seppä.

EPHIPPIUM (Ephippium analysis - a new method for detecting past changes in climate and environment 2005-2007). The aim of the project is to develop a new method to study past changes in climate, especially the length of winter and summer. The method is based on the length of two reproduction strategies (asexual and sexual) of chydorid Cladocera during the open-water season, estimated from the chitinous body parts preserved in sediments. The project consists of three parts: 1. Surface sediment samples from different climatic conditions all over Finland and development of a climate reconstruction model. 2. Sediment sequences from four lakes analysed by various methods (Cladocera, diatoms and pollen) and past climate changes reconstructed with the model. 3. Monitoring of the length and timing of sexual reproduction of chydorids in modern lakes with different ongoing environmental stresses, to be able to eliminate their influence from the climate reconstruction. The project is funded by the Academy of Finland and coordinated by Kaarina Sarmaja-Korjonen.