Research summary:  Tom’s research uses the sedimentary record to answer a
fundamental question: how does the Earth system function when global
temperatures are much warmer than today? His research uses the sedimentary
record, especially that of marine continental margin settings, to
reconstruct the most important boundary conditions of past climates –
Earth surface temperatures and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations –
as well as documenting the climate drivers of marine plankton ecology and
evolution. He has experience of coordinating ‘multi-proxy’ studies of past
environments, that combine sedimentology, organic and inorganic
geochemistry and micropalaeontology to reconstruct a holistic view of past
climate and environments that is impossible from a single proxy approach.
He has been fortunate to sail on three International Ocean Discovery
Program Expeditions as a nannofossil palaeontologist (Exp. 320, 363 and
395) and was the lead proponent and appointed Co-chief scientist of IODP
Expedition 388, which is yet to be implemented. His current work focuses
on reconstructing the Pliocene oceanography of the sub-polar North
Atlantic based on sample material from IODP Exp. 395.