Sea-surface temperature from coral skeletal strontium/calcium ratios

J. Warren Beck; Larry Edwards; Emi Ito; Frederick W. Taylor; Jacques Recy; Francis Rougerie; Pascale Joannot; Christian Henin

doi:10.1126/science.257.5070.644

Sea-surface temperature from coral skeletal strontium/calcium ratios

J. Warren Beck, Larry Edwards, Emi Ito, Frederick W. Taylor, Jacques Recy, Francis Rougerie, Pascale Joannot, Christian Henin

Earth and Environmental Sciences-Twin Cities

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

581 Scopus citations

Abstract

Seasonal records of tropical sea-surface temperature (SST) over the past 10⁵ years can be recovered from high-precision measurements of coral strontium/calcium ratios with the use of thermal ionization mass spectrometry. The temperature dependence of these ratios was calibrated with corals collected at SST recording stations and by ¹⁸O/¹⁶O thermometry. The results suggest that mean monthly SST may be determined with an apparent accuracy of better than 0.5°C. Measurements on a fossil coral indicate that 10,200 years ago mean annual SSTs near Vanuatu in the southwestern Pacific Ocean were about 5°C colder than today and that seasonal variations in SST were larger. These data suggest that tropical climate zones were compressed toward the equator during deglaciation.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	644-647
Number of pages	4
Journal	Science
Volume	257
Issue number	5070
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.257.5070.644
State	Published - Jan 1 1992

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@article{f380689f8e454e7c9dc9981cc05b61e2,

title = "Sea-surface temperature from coral skeletal strontium/calcium ratios",

abstract = "Seasonal records of tropical sea-surface temperature (SST) over the past 105 years can be recovered from high-precision measurements of coral strontium/calcium ratios with the use of thermal ionization mass spectrometry. The temperature dependence of these ratios was calibrated with corals collected at SST recording stations and by 18O/16O thermometry. The results suggest that mean monthly SST may be determined with an apparent accuracy of better than 0.5°C. Measurements on a fossil coral indicate that 10,200 years ago mean annual SSTs near Vanuatu in the southwestern Pacific Ocean were about 5°C colder than today and that seasonal variations in SST were larger. These data suggest that tropical climate zones were compressed toward the equator during deglaciation.",

author = "Beck, {J. Warren} and Larry Edwards and Emi Ito and Taylor, {Frederick W.} and Jacques Recy and Francis Rougerie and Pascale Joannot and Christian Henin",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Sea-surface temperature from coral skeletal strontium/calcium ratios

AU - Beck, J. Warren

AU - Edwards, Larry

AU - Ito, Emi

AU - Taylor, Frederick W.

AU - Recy, Jacques

AU - Rougerie, Francis

AU - Joannot, Pascale

AU - Henin, Christian

PY - 1992/1/1

Y1 - 1992/1/1

N2 - Seasonal records of tropical sea-surface temperature (SST) over the past 105 years can be recovered from high-precision measurements of coral strontium/calcium ratios with the use of thermal ionization mass spectrometry. The temperature dependence of these ratios was calibrated with corals collected at SST recording stations and by 18O/16O thermometry. The results suggest that mean monthly SST may be determined with an apparent accuracy of better than 0.5°C. Measurements on a fossil coral indicate that 10,200 years ago mean annual SSTs near Vanuatu in the southwestern Pacific Ocean were about 5°C colder than today and that seasonal variations in SST were larger. These data suggest that tropical climate zones were compressed toward the equator during deglaciation.

AB - Seasonal records of tropical sea-surface temperature (SST) over the past 105 years can be recovered from high-precision measurements of coral strontium/calcium ratios with the use of thermal ionization mass spectrometry. The temperature dependence of these ratios was calibrated with corals collected at SST recording stations and by 18O/16O thermometry. The results suggest that mean monthly SST may be determined with an apparent accuracy of better than 0.5°C. Measurements on a fossil coral indicate that 10,200 years ago mean annual SSTs near Vanuatu in the southwestern Pacific Ocean were about 5°C colder than today and that seasonal variations in SST were larger. These data suggest that tropical climate zones were compressed toward the equator during deglaciation.

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Sea-surface temperature from coral skeletal strontium/calcium ratios

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