Daily reconstruction of water temperature from oxygen isotopic ratios of a modern Tridacna shell using a freezing microtome sampling technique

Abstract

Daily (1-2 day interval) reconstruction of sea water temperature is calculated via a freezing microtome sampling technique for oxygen isotope analysis and by counting the daily growth lines in a modern Tridacna (Hippopus hippopus, LINNE, 1758) shell collected from Ishigaki Island, Japan. This method enables the first direct comparison between shell oxygen isotopic values and daily meteorological data. The H. hippopus shell calcifies mainly under isotopic equilibrium with surrounding sea water. The high-resolution profile of δ18O of the H. hippopus shell was recorded monthly to seasonal sea surface temperature variations of the local coral reef environment. Copyright 1999 by the American Geophysical Union.