A History of Tropical Sea Surface Temperatures since the Last Glacial Maximum using Coral Nighttime Thermometry

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole MA

Investigators

Abstract

This research will explore the potential for measuring Sr/Ca ratios in coral skeletons deposited during the night as a reliable proxy for sea-surface temperature (SST). The work will test the hypothesis that Sr/Ca in aragonite deposited during the daytime contains a vital effect due to algal symbionts but that aragonite deposited during the night is in thermodynamic equilibrium with ambient SST. PIs will first identify portions of coral skeleton in modern corals deposited during nighttime and then use SIMS ion microprobe to calibrate Sr/Ca as a proxy for SST. After the calibration studies are done Sr/Ca will be measured in nighttime aragonite from fossil corals recovered from Barbados and Vanuatu to determine tropical SST during the last glacial.