Holocene El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Sea Surface Temperature (SST) Variability Using Oxygen Isotope Signatures of Galeichthys Otoliths from Peru

University Of Georgia Research Foundation Inc, Athens GA

Investigators

Abstract

This award is for a study that will examine otoliths, incrementally grown aragonitic skeletal elements found in the endocrania of fish. The species of sea catfish chosen is fully marine, non-migratory, and has a wide temperature tolerance. Otoliths collected from precisely dated archaeological sites from prehistoric coastal Peru will be incrementally sampled and analyzed for d 13C and d18O via micromilling and laser ablation mass spectrometry. These analyses will permit the principal investigators to calculate water temperature with a temporal resolution of approximately 2-4 weeks for continuous periods of up to 30 years. Results will be compared to similar data from modern otoliths of the same species collected from waters near these sites as well as predictive models. Comparison of the data sets will allow for unambiguous assessment of seawater temperatures during the early and middle Holocene.