Planktonic foraminifera as ecological and geochemical palaeoclimate proxies : evaluation from Southern Ocean sediment traps ...

• Main Author: King, AL
• Format: Thesis
• Language: unknown
• Published: University Of Tasmania 2023
• Subjects: New Zealand; Southern Ocean; Planktonic foraminifera
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.25959/23230457.v1; https://figshare.utas.edu.au/articles/thesis/Planktonic_foraminifera_as_ecological_and_geochemical_palaeoclimate_proxies_evaluation_from_Southern_Ocean_sediment_traps/23230457/1

The analysis of planktonic foraminifera obtained from Southern Ocean sediment traps allows the calibration of several important paleoclimate proxies in this thesis. Foraminifera are analysed to determine the spatial and temporal changes in faunal and isotopic composition. Annual faunal assemblages collected from each sediment trap are compared to a global core top data base to assess the validity of the Modern Analog Technique in estimating sea-surface temperatures. The oxygen isotopic composition of several foraminiferal species also allows calibration of paleotemperature equations for the first time in Southern Ocean settings. The utility of the foraminiferal carbon isotopic record as a nutrient tracer is also tested. The sediment traps represent two separate deployments. The first deployment consists of two sediment traps moored north and south of Chatham Rise east of New Zealand at 42° and 44°S respectively. These traps sampled Subtropical and Subantarctic waters over an annual cycle. The second ...