Reconstruction of deglacial sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific from selective analysis of a fossil coral | Zendy

Allison Nicola | Zendy; Finch Adrian A. | Zendy; Tudhope Alexander W. | Zendy; Newville Matthew | Zendy; Sutton Stephen R. | Zendy; Ellam Robert M. | Zendy

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Reconstruction of deglacial sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific from selective analysis of a fossil coral

Author(s) -

Allison Nicola,

Finch Adrian A.,

Tudhope Alexander W.,

Newville Matthew,

Sutton Stephen R.,

Ellam Robert M.

Publication year - 2005

Publication title -

geophysical research letters

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007

H-Index - 273

eISSN - 1944-8007

pISSN - 0094-8276

DOI - 10.1029/2005gl023183

Subject(s) - coral , aragonite , deglaciation , geology , interglacial , oceanography , glacial period , quaternary , porites , paleontology , calcite

The Sr/Ca of coral skeletons demonstrates potential as an indicator of sea surface temperatures (SSTs). However, the glacial‐interglacial SST ranges predicted from Sr/Ca of fossil corals are usually higher than from other marine proxies. We observed infilling of secondary aragonite, characterised by high Sr/Ca ratios, along intraskeletal pores of a fossil coral from Papua New Guinea that grew during the penultimate deglaciation (130 ± 2 ka). Selective microanalysis of unaltered areas of the fossil coral indicates that SSTs at ∼130 ka were ≤1°C cooler than at present in contrast with bulk measurements (combining infilled and unaltered areas) which indicate a difference of 6–7°C. The analysis of unaltered areas of fossil skeletons by microprobe techniques may offer a route to more accurate reconstruction of past SSTs.

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