Gerold Wefer Knihy

The South Atlantic plays a significant role as a link between the Antarctic Ocean and the North Atlantic, both in terms of the heat budget of the North Atlantic and the circulation of the entire ocean. The heat and mass exchanges between the Antarctic Ocean and the South Atlantic during the Late Quaternary have been investigated over the past ten years, including their impact on world climate. This has required the study of present-day early diagenetic processes in the water column and sediments, as well as sediment properties that have a close relationship to environmental parameters („proxies“), which can be used to decipher past conditions (temperature, salinity, productivity, etc.). The interdisciplinary research project „The South Atlantic in the Late Quaternary - Reconstruction of material budgets and current systems“ was a long-term scientific program at Bremen University. This program benefited from the sample material gained on several expeditions with the research vessels Meteor and Polarstern. This book presents the summarized results of the various topics of study in 30 articles arranged in seven sections.

Europe is a continent with a high coast-to-surface ratio, and European seas encompass a broad range of settings and regimes. The sustainable development of living and non-living marine resources, the protection of the marine environment and the provision of marine-based services are critical to economic prosperity and to the quality of life of European citizens. Addressing these concerns, marine-science researchers conducted a workshop reviewing major topics of European marine research. This publication contains overview and thematic background papers, as well as reports and recommendations for future research covering topics such as ocean-climate coupling, biogeochemistry, coastal and shelf processes, and ecosystem functioning/biodiversity.

Ocean margins are the transitional zones between the oceans and continents. They represent dynamic systems in which numerous processes shape the environment and result in impacting the utilization and hazard potentials for humans. These processes are influenced by a variety of steering mechanisms, from mountain building and climate on the land to tectonics and sea-level fluctuations in ocean margins. This book examines various aspects of regulation for the long-term development of ocean margins, of the impact of fluids and of the dynamics of benthic life at and below the seafloor in ocean margin systems.

The global environment is rapidly changing due to human activities, particularly through climate modification. This raises critical questions about how the study of climate and history can inform strategies for coping with these changes, what information is most useful, and what pitfalls may arise. To address these questions, experts from both natural and social sciences with a keen interest in history convened to foster interdisciplinary discussions on this pressing societal issue. The meeting was part of a "Hanse Conference" organized by the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg, which aims to promote collaboration between the universities of Bremen and Oldenburg. The conferences are designed to bring together experts from diverse fields in the sciences and humanities to explore topics of mutual interest. Participants share a common goal of engaging with neighboring disciplines, and young scholars seeking interdisciplinary careers are especially encouraged to join. This particular conference focused on building connections between climate and sociological sciences, emphasizing the relevance of geological sciences, which inherently include historical perspectives, to enhance understanding of environmental impacts on human activities.

„... comprehensive, well-written, superbly illustrated, thoroughly documented and it will no doubt constitute a landmark in our understanding of the South Atlantic oceanography. It will have its place in all specialized libraries.“ Bulletin de la Societe belge de Geologie