THE PATCH LAB: A CENOZOIC STABLE ISOTOPE DATABASE FOR PROXY-MODEL COMPARISON

We present a new tool for storing and archiving Cenozoic terrestrial stable isotope (d¹⁸O, d¹³C, and dD) data to strengthen proxy-model comparisons of terrestrial climate and hydroclimate change. The PATCH Lab (Paleo Analysis of Terrestrial Carbon and Hydroclimate) is an online database and workspace for researchers to identify stable isotope data from a region and time of interest, apply vapor transport and soil carbon models to refine interpretations, and compare results across proxy types. The database also allows users to compile long-term averaged isotope data by removing transient excursions such as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum—a useful feature when comparing to broadly defined model boundary conditions (such as an “Eocene” simulation). We discuss this feature and others, and we present examples for integrating The PATCH Lab into proxy-model comparisons.