Its societal relevance lies in the possible comparison of modern, man-induced climate and other environmental change and concomitant loss of biodiversity with similar events that occurred in the distant geological past. Field research will concern Europe, North, Central and South America, Asia and New Zealand. This is a proposed continuation of IGCP Project No. 404 'Terrestrial Carbon in the Past 125 Ka', which was completed in 2000. Compared to the former IGCP 404, it will focus more on the terrestrial hydro-systems and ecosystems, with a special emphasis on the soil reservoir. The main objective will be to couple the water cycle and carbon cycle to study the different terrestrial carbon reservoirs and the mass transfers between these reservoirs, but also between terrestrial reservoirs and atmospheric and oceanic reservoirs.
Societal benefits are a better preservation and management of natural resources.
New databases on palaeohydro-climatology and vegetation distribution will be further extended from previous databases. The project will focus on continental shelves during the last glacial cycle and will carry out comparisons around the world and establish workshops to train people in modern shelf surveying techniques such as fibre-optic cable route surveys. A compilation of various styles of shelves will be established, and a common terminology defined. Accumulated expertise from IGCP Project 396 'Continental Shelves in the Quaternary' is available, which has just completed its fifth and last year. There are a number of other facets of this proposed research that will likely provide new insight into related scientific questions, and a substantial database will be provided for future research.