SIF 4th Cohort Fellows - Swagata Chaudhuri, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Curriculum Vitae
- Education
MSc, Presidency University, Kolkata, India 20/08/2016, Applied Geology
BSc, Presidency University, Kolkata, India 21/12/2024, Geology
- Experience
04/09/2023- 27/09/2024, Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) Kolkata (India)
Paleodepositional and Paleoclimatic reconstruction at Dwarka Basin, India
04/06/2015- 18/07/2015, DST INSPIRE Summer Trainee, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, (India)
Micropaleontological Study of Early Eocene Subsurface Beds of Valia Lignite Mine, India
- Publications/Research achievements
Research Project:
The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) event (~56 Ma) marked by a rapid global temperature increase of 5°C in less than 10,000 years constitutes a suitable ancient analogue to modern-day climate change. Notably, the early to middle Eocene age is characterised by CO2 levels exceeding 600 ppm, in analogy with levels possibly reached in the coming centuries, as predicted by IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). Himalayan Foreland Basin sediments preserve a unique geological record of Paleogene global to regional climatic cycles and tectonic pulses. The Subathu Formation hosts well-preserved marine deposits rich in larger benthic foraminifera (LBF). LBF is an underexplored archive for Paleogene paleoenvironmental reconstruction, serving as an important proxy to reconstruct paleoclimatic records over time. By employing innovative in situ analytical methods, the project aims to extract stable isotopic (including clumped Δ47) and compositional data from foraminiferal chamber walls. Challenges posed by diagenesis are overcome by detailed petrographic and geochemical studies. The objectives include understanding biotic responses to sea-level changes, assessing the potential of LA-ICP-MS for trace element chemistry of foraminiferal tests, refining the understanding of diagenesis-alteration in foraminiferal shells, reconstructing paleo-CO2, paleodepositional and paleoclimatic history, during three key time intervals, first of all the PETM, but also as second priority the Early Eocene Climate Optimum, and Eocene- Oligocene transition. By unravelling the behavioural patterns of marine fauna, the study provides a crucial understanding of past climate variability and insights into potential damages to contemporary ecosystems and informs future mitigation policies.