IODP³ Gateway

IODP3 Expedition 506S, SIGNALS (Stratigraphic InteGration of North Atlantic Legacy Sites), will integrate sediment records to reconstruct North Atlantic climate variability and ocean circulation since the late Miocene.

The North Atlantic strongly influences global climate, yet many sediment cores remain underutilized because of difficulties in correlating records and integrating datasets. SIGNALS will establish a coherent stratigraphic framework, refine age models, and synchronize climate proxy datasets across sites representing diverse climatic conditions and water depths.

Using machine learning, automated core image analysis, and signal correlation methods, the science team will generate high-resolution records and assess uncertainties in their interpretation. These records will improve understanding of major climatic transitions and support climate modelling and comparisons with other paleoclimate initiatives.

The expedition will also develop accessible computational tools, train early-career researchers, and make data publicly available. SIGNALS will strengthen the value of existing sediment archives while advancing understanding of climate feedbacks and tipping points.

GLACE-NS will investigate how Northern Hemisphere ice sheets, climate, and ecosystems evolved during the Pliocene–Pleistocene transition and subsequent glacial cycles. The project focuses on the North Sea Basin, whose thick sediment record preserves evidence of around 50 glacial-interglacial cycles and the development of northwest European ice sheets and river systems.