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A Preliminary Study of Stable Oxygen Isotopic Composition of the Corals Genus Porites from the Gulf of Thailand


Affiliations
1 National research center for Geoanalysis, Beijing 100037, China Faculty of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
2 Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand
3 National research center for Geoanalysis, Beijing 100037
     

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There are limited coral-based paleoclimate records in the Gulf of Thailand to date. Therefore, in this study we present preliminary data on the stable oxygen isotopic (δ18O) composition of the modern coral genus Porites from Samaesan and Ngam Islands. Two corals were analyzed that grew between 1997 and 2009 AD, and 1996 and 2010 AD, respectively. The annual growth rate was an average of 12.33 mm yr-1. Two δ18O profiles showed a good correlation in pattern and isotopic range. Correlational analyses indicated that coral δ18O is a robust proxy for the sea surface temperature (SST), which was supported by significantly negative correlations between skeleton δ18O and SSTs. These seasonal calibrations suggested a temperature dependence of 0.13 and 0.15 ‰ °C-1. The growth rate of one skeleton was positively correlated with its δ18O, but this relationship was not identified in the others, indicating an intercolony variability in the growth rate effect on δ18O. The short-term variations in El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) were faithfully recorded in coral δ18O, as observed in the correlations of coral δ18O with the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) and SST during ENSO events. Based on these data, we suggest that the coral from the Gulf of Thailand could serve as a potential paleo-climate proxy in the future.

Keywords

Coral, Oxygen Isotope, Paleoclimate, The Gulf of Thailand, ENSO
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  • A Preliminary Study of Stable Oxygen Isotopic Composition of the Corals Genus Porites from the Gulf of Thailand

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Authors

Chotika Muangsong
National research center for Geoanalysis, Beijing 100037, China Faculty of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Nathsuda Pumijumnong
Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand
Binggui Cai
National research center for Geoanalysis, Beijing 100037
Wararat Sirianansakul
Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand

Abstract


There are limited coral-based paleoclimate records in the Gulf of Thailand to date. Therefore, in this study we present preliminary data on the stable oxygen isotopic (δ18O) composition of the modern coral genus Porites from Samaesan and Ngam Islands. Two corals were analyzed that grew between 1997 and 2009 AD, and 1996 and 2010 AD, respectively. The annual growth rate was an average of 12.33 mm yr-1. Two δ18O profiles showed a good correlation in pattern and isotopic range. Correlational analyses indicated that coral δ18O is a robust proxy for the sea surface temperature (SST), which was supported by significantly negative correlations between skeleton δ18O and SSTs. These seasonal calibrations suggested a temperature dependence of 0.13 and 0.15 ‰ °C-1. The growth rate of one skeleton was positively correlated with its δ18O, but this relationship was not identified in the others, indicating an intercolony variability in the growth rate effect on δ18O. The short-term variations in El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) were faithfully recorded in coral δ18O, as observed in the correlations of coral δ18O with the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) and SST during ENSO events. Based on these data, we suggest that the coral from the Gulf of Thailand could serve as a potential paleo-climate proxy in the future.

Keywords


Coral, Oxygen Isotope, Paleoclimate, The Gulf of Thailand, ENSO

References