Geochemistry-based coral palaeoclimate studies and the potential of ‘non-traditional’ (non-massive Porites) corals: Recent developments and future progression

Coral-reef records of Quaternary changes in climate and sea-level

“…Estimates of the duration of the short-term events implied by deviations in records of deep-sea and ice-core proxies range from 5.0−2.0 kyr, with A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T Taylor et al (1993) presenting evidence from Greenland ice cores to suggest climatic fluctuation on a scale of <5−20 years. Only analyses of growth lines of individual massive corals (Figs 5 and 6) are able to achieve this level of precision over extended periods (Yu et al 2009, and illustration by Precht and Precht, 2015), although there is evidence (Sadler et al 2014(Sadler et al , 2015 that branching corals such as Isopora and Acropora humilis may also have some potential for tracking even annual time intervals. But what intervals can we expect?…”

Molluscs emergent, Part I: themes and trends in the scientific investigation of mollusc shells as resources for archaeological research

“…Since publication of the definitive "Skeletal Growth of Aquatic Organisms" (Rhoads and Lutz, 1980) there have been many developments in the field of sclerochronology involving a diverse array of scientific disciplines including Archaeology, Biology, Climatology, Ecology, Environmental Sciences, Geochemistry, and Paleontology, among others. Sclerochronological analyses have been applied to a range of animal taxa, principally corals, as reviewed by DeLong (in press), Lough and Cooper (2011) and Sadler et al (2014); fish otoliths and scales, as reviewed in a range of articles in Panfili et al (2002); and molluscs. The review by Andrus (2011) of shell midden sclerochronology is essential reading for anyone desiring information on the methods, applications, problems and potential of such approaches within the context of archaeology.…”

Bonding in Solids

“…In many types of corals, carbonate shells or skeletons that have the aragonite structure, metals such as Sr 2+ substitute more for Ca 2+ when waters become colder [14]. Thus, the measurement of Sr concentration over the shell's length (a measure of its life span) reflects the temperature of the waters latitudinally or seasonally (if the shell is studied over its entire length using microscopic techniques or laser ablation with elemental analysis by inductively coupled plasma -mass spectrometry, ICP-MS).…”