Open AccessAn evaluation of controls on planktonic foraminiferal Sr/Ca: Comparison of water column and core‐top data from a North Atlantic transect
Author(s) -
Mortyn P. Graham,
Elderfield Henry,
Anand Pallavi,
Greaves Mervyn
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
geochemistry, geophysics, geosystems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.928
H-Index - 136
ISSN - 1525-2027
DOI - 10.1029/2005gc001047
Subject(s) - water column , transect , geology , oceanography , interglacial , plankton , foraminifera , water mass , glacial period , paleontology , benthic zone
Sr/Ca in planktonic foraminifera recovered from the water column over 0–800 m along a meridional transect in the North Atlantic Ocean from 30° to 60°N were compared with data from core‐top samples on the same transect and with in situ temperatures determined from water column CTD profiles. Species belonging to the globorotaliid genus show significant variability in Sr/Ca from place to place, whereas non‐ globorotaliid species show no significant variability. This variability for the globorotaliid species in core‐top samples has already been shown to covary with calcification temperature derived from δ 18 O, but it also covaries with bottom depth (symptomatic of a dissolution artifact). These alternatives are distinguishable from the water column data for which the globorotaliid species show a small temperature dependence of 0.025 mmol/mol/°C within the range 5–15°C. However, temperature dependence is not supported by glacial‐interglacial differences in Sr/Ca for globorotaliid and non‐ globorotaliid species, and at least from this perspective, a [CO 3 2− ] influence seems more likely.