Oxygen Isotope Values of Planktic Foraminifera:
A Tool for the Reconstruction of Surface Water Stratification
H.-S. Niebler1,2*, H.-W. Hubberten 3 and R. Gersonde 2
1 Universitat Bremen, Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Postfach 33 04 40,
D-28334 Bremen, Germany
2A!fred-Wegener-Institutfor Polar- und Meeresforschung, Postfach 12 0161,
D-27515 Bremerhaven, Germany
3 A !fred-Wegener-Institut for Polar- und Meeresforschung, Postfach 60 01 49,
D-14401 Potsdam, Germany
*corresponding author (e-mail):niebler@uni-bremen.de
Abstract: The 8180'~dte composition of planktic foraminiferal shells in 59 samples collected from
surface sediments between 34°S (south-eastern Subtropical Gyre) and 56°S (Antarctic Zone of the
Antarctic Circumpolar Current) and additionally from 20 0 S (Walvis Ridge) in the South Atlantic
Ocean documents the apparent calcification depth of 24 planktic foraminiferal taxa. Based on the
818000lcite signal of their shells, four depth related groups of foraminifera are distinguished, calcifying
in a depth between 0 and 50 m (Sphaeroidinella dehiscens, Pulleniatina obliquiloculata, Orbulina
bilobata, Globigerinoides sacculifer (with and without sac), Globigerinella aequilateralis,
Globigerinoides ruber (white), Globigerina bulloides); 0 and 200 m (Globigerinoides conglobatus,
Orbulina universa, Neogloboquadrina dutertrei, Turborotalita qUinqueloba, Neogloboquadrina
pachyderma (dextral and sinistral»; 100 and 250 m (Globorotalia tumida, Globorotalia menardii,
Globigerinella calida, Globorotalia inflata); and deeper than 250 m (Globorotalia hirsuta,
Globorotalia scitula, Globorotalia crassaformis, Globorotalia truncatulinoides (dextral and
sinistral». We propose a method to reconstruct temperature gradients between various depths in
the water column, but most specifically between 30 m and 250 m, using the 8180'~dte composition of
foraminiferal calcite. Changes in past sea-surface water stratification in the temperate southern
South Atlantic Ocean and in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current can be reconstructed in particular
with G. bulloides, G. truncatulinoides and G. inflata. Modem temperature gradients between 30 m
and 250 m water depth are reconstructed accurately within a range between 1.7 and 9.4 °C with a
correlation coefficient of 0.77 and a standard deviation of ± 1.3 °C.
Introduction
One of our primary resources for understanding well as quantitative faunal distributions are widely
the climate change on earth are the deep-sea used for quantitative estimates of paleoenvironsediments deposited on the ocean floor. Important mental parameters (temperature, salinity, nutrient
components of the marine sediment archive are the content) and qualitative statements of water-mass
shells of plankticforaminifera, which have stored distribution (reviews in Parker 1971; Be 1977,
the oxygen isotope composition and the ambient Vincent and Berger 1981; Hemleben et al. 1989).
temperature of the surrounding sea-water in their More recently, these reconstructions were empha8180 "Idte values. Since more than four decades sized to southern middle and high latitudes (Howard
8180caldte compositions of foraminiferal shells as and Prell 1984, 1992; Prell 1985; Labracherie et al.
From FISCHER G, WEFER G (eds), 1999, Use of Proxies in Paleoceanography: Examples from the South Atlantic. Springer-Verlag
Berlin Heidelberg, pp 165-189
A Tool for the Reconstruction of Surface Water Stratification
H.-S. Niebler1,2*, H.-W. Hubberten 3 and R. Gersonde 2
1 Universitat Bremen, Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Postfach 33 04 40,
D-28334 Bremen, Germany
2A!fred-Wegener-Institutfor Polar- und Meeresforschung, Postfach 12 0161,
D-27515 Bremerhaven, Germany
3 A !fred-Wegener-Institut for Polar- und Meeresforschung, Postfach 60 01 49,
D-14401 Potsdam, Germany
*corresponding author (e-mail):niebler@uni-bremen.de
Abstract: The 8180'~dte composition of planktic foraminiferal shells in 59 samples collected from
surface sediments between 34°S (south-eastern Subtropical Gyre) and 56°S (Antarctic Zone of the
Antarctic Circumpolar Current) and additionally from 20 0 S (Walvis Ridge) in the South Atlantic
Ocean documents the apparent calcification depth of 24 planktic foraminiferal taxa. Based on the
818000lcite signal of their shells, four depth related groups of foraminifera are distinguished, calcifying
in a depth between 0 and 50 m (Sphaeroidinella dehiscens, Pulleniatina obliquiloculata, Orbulina
bilobata, Globigerinoides sacculifer (with and without sac), Globigerinella aequilateralis,
Globigerinoides ruber (white), Globigerina bulloides); 0 and 200 m (Globigerinoides conglobatus,
Orbulina universa, Neogloboquadrina dutertrei, Turborotalita qUinqueloba, Neogloboquadrina
pachyderma (dextral and sinistral»; 100 and 250 m (Globorotalia tumida, Globorotalia menardii,
Globigerinella calida, Globorotalia inflata); and deeper than 250 m (Globorotalia hirsuta,
Globorotalia scitula, Globorotalia crassaformis, Globorotalia truncatulinoides (dextral and
sinistral». We propose a method to reconstruct temperature gradients between various depths in
the water column, but most specifically between 30 m and 250 m, using the 8180'~dte composition of
foraminiferal calcite. Changes in past sea-surface water stratification in the temperate southern
South Atlantic Ocean and in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current can be reconstructed in particular
with G. bulloides, G. truncatulinoides and G. inflata. Modem temperature gradients between 30 m
and 250 m water depth are reconstructed accurately within a range between 1.7 and 9.4 °C with a
correlation coefficient of 0.77 and a standard deviation of ± 1.3 °C.
Introduction
One of our primary resources for understanding well as quantitative faunal distributions are widely
the climate change on earth are the deep-sea used for quantitative estimates of paleoenvironsediments deposited on the ocean floor. Important mental parameters (temperature, salinity, nutrient
components of the marine sediment archive are the content) and qualitative statements of water-mass
shells of plankticforaminifera, which have stored distribution (reviews in Parker 1971; Be 1977,
the oxygen isotope composition and the ambient Vincent and Berger 1981; Hemleben et al. 1989).
temperature of the surrounding sea-water in their More recently, these reconstructions were empha8180 "Idte values. Since more than four decades sized to southern middle and high latitudes (Howard
8180caldte compositions of foraminiferal shells as and Prell 1984, 1992; Prell 1985; Labracherie et al.
From FISCHER G, WEFER G (eds), 1999, Use of Proxies in Paleoceanography: Examples from the South Atlantic. Springer-Verlag
Berlin Heidelberg, pp 165-189