DOE PAGES title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: A robust calibration of the clumped isotopes to temperature relationship for foraminifers

Journal Article · · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
ORCiD logo [1];  [2];  [1];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [1]
  1. Univ. of Bergen (Norway)
  2. Univ. of Bergen (Norway); National Taiwan Univ., Taipei (Taiwan)
  3. Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel (Germany)
  4. Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Institute Universitaire Europeen de la Mer (IUEM) (France)
  5. Max Planck Society, Mainz (Germany)

The clumped isotope (Δ47) proxy is a promising geochemical tool to reconstruct past ocean temperatures far back in time and in unknown settings, due to its unique thermodynamic basis that renders it independent from other environmental factors like seawater composition. Although previously hampered by large sample-size requirements, recent methodological advances have made the paleoceanographic application of Δ47 on small (<5 mg) foraminifer samples possible. Previous studies show a reasonable match between Δ47 calibrations based on synthetic carbonate and various species of planktonic foraminifers. However, studies performed before recent methodological advances were based on relatively few species and data treatment that is now outdated. To overcome these limitations and elucidate species-specific effects, we analyzed 14 species of planktonic foraminifers in sediment surface samples from 13 sites, covering a growth temperature range of ~0-28 °C. We selected mixed layer-dwelling and deep-dwelling species from a wide range of ocean settings to evaluate the feasibility of temperature reconstructions for different water depths. Various techniques to estimate foraminifer calcification temperatures were tested in order to assess their effects on the calibration and to find the most suitable approach. Results from this study generally confirm previous findings that there are no species-specific effects on the Δ47-temperature relationship in planktonic foraminifers, with one possible exception. Various morphotypes of Globigerinoides ruber were found to often deviate from the general trend determined for planktonic foraminifers. Our data are in excellent agreement with a recent foraminifer calibration study that was performed with a different analytical setup, as well as with a calibration based exclusively on benthic foraminifers. A combined, methodologically homogenized dataset also reveals very good agreement with an inorganic calibration based on travertines. Our findings highlight the potential of the Δ47 paleothermometer to be applied to recent and extinct species alike to study surface ocean temperatures as well as thermocline variability for a multitude of settings and time scales.

Research Organization:
Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
European Research Council (ERC); USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0010288
OSTI ID:
1770495
Journal Information:
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Journal Name: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta Journal Issue: C Vol. 270; ISSN 0016-7037
Publisher:
Elsevier; The Geochemical Society; The Meteoritical SocietyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (91)

Global clumped isotope foraminifer to temperature calibration data from Meinicke et al 2020, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta dataset January 2020
Fully Recalculated Clumped Isotope Calibration Data from Meinicke et al., 2020 dataset January 2023
Nd and Sr isotope compositions of different phases of surface sediments in the South Pacific: Extraction of seawater signatures, boundary exchange, and detrital/dust provenance journal September 2014
Environmental and biological controls on size-specific δ 13 C and δ 18 O in recent planktonic foraminifera: Synthesising size-specific δ13C and δ18O journal March 2015
A Reassessment of the Precision of Carbonate Clumped Isotope Measurements: Implications for Calibrations and Paleoclimate Reconstructions: PRECISION OF CARBONATE CLUMPED ISOTOPES journal December 2017
Methods and limitations of ‘clumped’ CO 2 isotope (Δ 47 ) analysis by gas-source isotope ratio mass spectrometry journal September 2009
Calibration and application of B/Ca, Cd/Ca, and δ 11 B in Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (sinistral) to constrain CO 2 uptake in the subpolar North Atlantic during the last deglaciation: NORTH ATLANTIC DEGLACIAL CO 2 journal May 2013
Reconstructing the upper water column thermal structure in the Atlantic Ocean: FORAMINIFERA AND THERMOCLINE journal September 2013
An automated method for ‘clumped-isotope’ measurements on small carbonate samples journal June 2010
Background effects on Faraday collectors in gas-source mass spectrometry and implications for clumped isotope measurements: Background effects on Faraday collectors in mass spectrometry journal February 2013
A modified procedure for gas-source isotope ratio mass spectrometry: the long-integration dual-inlet (LIDI) methodology and implications for clumped isotope measurements: The long-integration dual-inlet (LIDI) methodology for gas-source IRMS journal May 2014
Long-term performance of the Kiel carbonate device with a new correction scheme for clumped isotope measurements: Performance and correction of Kiel clumped isotope measurements journal June 2014
Community software for challenging isotope analysis: First applications of ‘Easotope’ to clumped isotopes: Community software for challenging isotope analysis journal September 2016
Choice of 17 O correction affects clumped isotope (Δ 47 ) values of CO 2 measured with mass spectrometry journal November 2016
Microsensor studies of photosynthesis and respiration in the symbiotic foraminifer Orbulina universa journal July 1998
Carbonate clumped isotope paleothermometry: a review of recent advances in CO2 gas evolution, purification, measurement and standardization techniques journal May 2015
Seasonal changes in the isotopic composition of planktonic foraminifera collected in Panama Basin sediment traps journal July 1983
Further evaluation of long-chain alkenones as indicators of paleoceanographic conditions journal September 1988
Assessing the reliability of magnesium in foraminiferal calcite as a proxy for water mass temperatures journal March 1996
Distributional variations in marine crenarchaeotal membrane lipids: a new tool for reconstructing ancient sea water temperatures? journal November 2002
Equilibrium and nonequilibrium oxygen isotope effects in synthetic carbonates journal August 1997
An explanation of the effect of seawater carbonate concentration on foraminiferal oxygen isotopes journal July 1999
Controls on magnesium and strontium uptake in planktonic foraminifera determined by live culturing journal August 1999
Isotopic signals in two morphotypes of Globigerinoides ruber (white) from the South China Sea: implications for monsoon climate change during the last glacial cycle journal September 2000
Planktic foraminifers and hydrography of the eastern and northern Caribbean Sea journal November 2002
Compositional and temperature effects of phosphoric acid fractionation on Δ47 analysis and implications for discrepant calibrations journal March 2015
Absolute isotopic abundance ratios and the accuracy of Δ47 measurements journal November 2016
Biomineralization in perforate foraminifera journal August 2014
“Clumped-isotope” geochemistry—The study of naturally-occurring, multiply-substituted isotopologues journal October 2007
Calibrating Mg/Ca ratios of multiple planktonic foraminiferal species with δ18O-calcification temperatures: Paleothermometry for the upper water column journal February 2009
A revised calibration of the clumped isotope thermometer journal November 2013
A process-based model for non-equilibrium clumped isotope effects in carbonates journal December 2015
18O13C16O in Earth’s atmosphere journal December 2004
Equilibrium thermodynamics of multiply substituted isotopologues of molecular gases journal December 2004
13C–18O bonds in carbonate minerals: A new kind of paleothermometer journal March 2006
Preferential formation of 13C–18O bonds in carbonate minerals, estimated using first-principles lattice dynamics journal May 2006
Calibration of the carbonate ‘clumped isotope’ paleothermometer for otoliths journal June 2007
Lipids of marine Archaea: Patterns and provenance in the water-column and sediments journal July 2007
13C–18O isotope signatures and ‘clumped isotope’ thermometry in foraminifera and coccoliths journal October 2010
Defining an absolute reference frame for ‘clumped’ isotope studies of CO2 journal November 2011
Carbonate clumped isotope variability in shallow water corals: Temperature dependence and growth-related vital effects journal December 2012
Carbonate clumped isotope compositions of modern marine mollusk and brachiopod shells journal April 2013
Calibration and application of the ‘clumped isotope’ thermometer to foraminifera for high-resolution climate reconstructions journal May 2013
Improved oxygen isotope temperature calibrations for cosmopolitan benthic foraminifera journal April 2014
Appraisal of TEX86 and TEX86L thermometries in subpolar and polar regions journal April 2014
Evaluation of kinetic effects on clumped isotope fractionation (Δ47) during inorganic calcite precipitation journal June 2014
Empirical calibration of the clumped isotope paleothermometer using calcites of various origins journal September 2014
Beyond temperature: Clumped isotope signatures in dissolved inorganic carbon species and the influence of solution chemistry on carbonate mineral composition journal October 2015
Temperature dependence of oxygen- and clumped isotope fractionation in carbonates: A study of travertines and tufas in the 6–95°C temperature range journal November 2015
Toward a universal carbonate clumped isotope calibration: Diverse synthesis and preparatory methods suggest a single temperature relationship journal January 2017
Calibration of the dolomite clumped isotope thermometer from 25 to 350 °C, and implications for a universal calibration for all (Ca, Mg, Fe)CO3 carbonates journal March 2017
Coupled Mg/Ca and clumped isotope analyses of foraminifera provide consistent water temperatures journal September 2018
Updated calibration of the clumped isotope thermometer in planktonic and benthic foraminifera journal October 2018
The clumped (13C18O) isotope composition of echinoid calcite: Further evidence for “vital effects” in the clumped isotope proxy journal January 2019
Sensitivity of clumped isotope temperatures in fossil benthic and planktic foraminifera to diagenetic alteration journal July 2019
Stable isotopes of planktonic foraminifera from tropical Atlantic/Caribbean core-tops: Implications for reconstructing upper ocean stratification journal April 2009
Constraining foraminiferal calcification depths in the western Pacific warm pool journal October 2016
Southeastern marginal West Pacific Warm Pool sea-surface and thermocline dynamics during the Pleistocene (2.5–0.5 Ma) journal April 2017
Oxygen Isotopes in Foraminifera: Overview and Historical Review journal November 2012
A study of cleaning procedures used for foraminiferal Mg/Ca paleothermometry: MG/CA PALEOTHERMOMETRY journal September 2003
Ground-truthing the boron isotope-paleo-pH proxy in planktonic foraminifera shells: Partial dissolution and shell size effects: GROUND-TRUTHING THE δ 11 B-PALEO-PH PROXY journal November 2004
Assessing the effect of dissolution on planktonic foraminiferal Mg/Ca ratios: Evidence from Caribbean core tops: DISSOLUTION EFFECT ON MG/CA journal July 2006
Global gridded data set of the oxygen isotopic composition in seawater journal January 2006
Mg/Ca of Globorotalia inflata as a recorder of permanent thermocline temperatures in the South Atlantic: G. INFLATA MG/CA AS THERMOCLINE RECORDER journal April 2011
Reducing Uncertainties in Carbonate Clumped Isotope Analysis Through Consistent Carbonate-Based Standardization journal September 2018
Application of Clumped Isotope Thermometry to Benthic Foraminifera journal April 2019
Effects of Improved 17 O Correction on Interlaboratory Agreement in Clumped Isotope Calibrations, Estimates of Mineral‐Specific Offsets, and Temperature Dependence of Acid Digestion Fractionation journal July 2019
Impacts of Paleoecology on the TEX 86 Sea Surface Temperature Proxy in the Pliocene-Pleistocene Mediterranean Sea journal December 2018
Reevaluation of the oxygen isotopic composition of planktonic foraminifera: Experimental results and revised paleotemperature equations journal April 1998
Non-equilibrium Isotopic Fractionation between Seawater and Planktonic Foraminiferal Tests journal March 1973
Molecular stratigraphy: a new tool for climatic assessment journal March 1986
Effect of seawater carbonate concentration on foraminiferal carbon and oxygen isotopes journal December 1997
Modern and glacial tropical snowlines controlled by sea surface temperature and atmospheric mixing journal February 2014
Most Earth-surface calcites precipitate out of isotopic equilibrium journal January 2019
Assessing kinetic fractionation in brachiopod calcite using clumped isotopes journal January 2018
The thermodynamic properties of isotopic substances journal January 1947
Oxygen Isotope Fractionation in Divalent Metal Carbonates journal December 1969
Calculation of Equilibrium Constants for Isotopic Exchange Reactions journal May 1947
Assessment of algal photosynthesis in planktic foraminifers by fast repetition rate fluorometry journal October 2014
Unified equations for the slope, intercept, and standard errors of the best straight line journal March 2004
Trends, Rhythms, and Aberrations in Global Climate 65 Ma to Present journal April 2001
Isotopic Paleotemperatures journal November 1966
Carbonate-Water Isotopic Temperature Scale journal January 1951
Revised Carbonate-Water Isotopic Temperature Scale journal January 1953
Planktonic foraminifera as recorders of past surface-water stratification journal January 1997
Correction for the 17O interference in δ(13C) measurements when analyzing CO2 with stable isotope mass spectrometry (IUPAC Technical Report) journal May 2010
Global clumped isotope foraminifer to temperature calibration data from Meinicke et al 2020, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta dataset January 2020
Seasonally abundant planktonic foraminifera of the Sargasso Sea; succession, deep-water fluxes, isotopic compositions, and paleoceanographic implications journal October 1989
Clumped isotopes in near-surface atmospheric CO2 over land, coast and ocean in Taiwan and its vicinity journal January 2016
Mg ∕ Ca and δ18O in living planktic foraminifers from the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and Florida Straits journal January 2018
Characterizing photosymbiosis in modern planktonic foraminifera journal January 2019