Collaborative Research: Refinement of North Atlantic Paleotemperature Records From O-18 in Arctica Shells for the Last 1000 Years

George Washington University, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

Summary: This ESH award will support further development and application of the use of marine molluses to reconstruct annually-resolved estimates of water temperature. Four directions are planned: (1) evaluation of amino-acid dating method by comparison with 14C dates, to address varying reservoir age, (2) construct an annual record of 18O for the interval 1600-1880 Ad using cross-matching of growth bands from dated specimens, (3) assess ontogenetic effects on 18O by comparing the same time interval in specimens of different age and (4) explore utility of Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca to resolve temperature and salinity effects upon the oxygen record.