A potential bias in coral reconstruction of sea surface temperature

Abstract

Isotopic measurements in corals are used to reconstruct past sea surface temperature. These reconstructions are based on calibration regression analyses using paired measurements of modern isotopic composition and sea surface temperature. It is shown that error in these measurements of sea surface temperature can lead to substantial bias in reconstruction. Provided the variance of the measurement error is known or can be estimated, a simple correction can eliminate this bias. Copyright 2004 by the American Geophysical Union.