Evaluating southern Red Sea corals as a proxy record for the Asian monsoon

R. Klein; A. W. Tudhope; C. P. Chilcott; J. Pätzold; Z. Abdulkarim; M. Fine; A. E. Fallick; Y. Loya

doi:10.1016/s0012-821x(97)00021-6

Evaluating southern Red Sea corals as a proxy record for the Asian monsoon

R. Klein^*, A. W. Tudhope, C. P. Chilcott, J. Pätzold, Z. Abdulkarim, M. Fine, A. E. Fallick, Y. Loya

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Coral palaeoclimatic studies are under way at many sites throughout the wet tropics. However, arid environments have received less attention. Here we report a high-resolution, 63 yr record of coral δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C extracted from a Porites colony from the Dahlak Archipelago, off the Eritrean coast, in the southern Red Sea. The annual cycles of the coral δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C are inversely related while their inter-annual variations show a strong positive correlation, with similar inter-decadal trends. Inter-annual variations in coral δ¹⁸O show a relatively weak correlation with the southern Red Sea SST, but are strongly correlated with the Indian Ocean SST, especially on the decadal time-scale. The range of the inter-annual variations in the coral δ¹⁸O is high compared to changes in local SST, due to the amplifying effect of simultaneous changes in water isotopic composition. Due to this amplification of the climate signal the coral provides a better indication of regional oceanographic behaviour than the local SST record. The norrtheast monsoon signal in the coral δ¹⁸O dominates the mean annual signal and shows the best correlation with the instrumental data sets. It appears that variations in the coral δ¹⁸O are controlled mainly by variations in the intensity of surface water influx from the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea during the winter northeast monsoon. Of particular significance is that the decadal time-scale variations in the coral skeletal δ¹⁸O are closely correlated with both the Indian Ocean SST and with variations in the Pacific-based Southern Oscillation index. That is, isotopically light coral skeleton, indicating strong NE monsoon Red Sea inflow, correlates with periods of high Indian Ocean SST and with predominantly negative (El Niño) phases of the Southern Oscillation. The simultaneous nature of inter-decadal changes in Asian monsoon and ENSO behaviour suggest pan-Indo-Pacific tropical climate reorganisation and evolution.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	381-394
Number of pages	14
Journal	Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Volume	148
Issue number	1-2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/s0012-821x(97)00021-6
State	Published - Apr 1997
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
All isotopic measurementsw ere carried out at the stable isotope laboratory at the SURRC, East Kil-bride, Glasgow. We thank Mr. T. Donnelly from the SURRC for his technical advice and assistance.W e also thank Phil Howell for supply of and advice with the use of the ARAND softwarep ackagef or spectral analysis, and Phil Jones for supply of climatic data. We express our gratitude to the Government of Eritrea, the Marine Resources Department (MRD), and the University of Asmara, for enabling us to perform the researchp roject in the southernR ed Sea. Special thanks are due to Dr. Chris Hillman from the MRD for his great assistance.T he manuscript benefited significantly from the suggestions of the two reviewers, Dr. Dave Anderson and Dr. Dan Schrag. This work was supported by the German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Researcha nd Development (GIF), and grants from the British Council and the Harold Wingate Foundation. [MK]

Keywords

El Nino
O-18/O-16
Paleoclimatology
Porites
Red Sea

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10.1016/s0012-821x(97)00021-6

Cite this

@article{202a5790be24411582bf08b9db5a8be8,

title = "Evaluating southern Red Sea corals as a proxy record for the Asian monsoon",

abstract = "Coral palaeoclimatic studies are under way at many sites throughout the wet tropics. However, arid environments have received less attention. Here we report a high-resolution, 63 yr record of coral δ18O and δ13C extracted from a Porites colony from the Dahlak Archipelago, off the Eritrean coast, in the southern Red Sea. The annual cycles of the coral δ18O and δ13C are inversely related while their inter-annual variations show a strong positive correlation, with similar inter-decadal trends. Inter-annual variations in coral δ18O show a relatively weak correlation with the southern Red Sea SST, but are strongly correlated with the Indian Ocean SST, especially on the decadal time-scale. The range of the inter-annual variations in the coral δ18O is high compared to changes in local SST, due to the amplifying effect of simultaneous changes in water isotopic composition. Due to this amplification of the climate signal the coral provides a better indication of regional oceanographic behaviour than the local SST record. The norrtheast monsoon signal in the coral δ18O dominates the mean annual signal and shows the best correlation with the instrumental data sets. It appears that variations in the coral δ18O are controlled mainly by variations in the intensity of surface water influx from the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea during the winter northeast monsoon. Of particular significance is that the decadal time-scale variations in the coral skeletal δ18O are closely correlated with both the Indian Ocean SST and with variations in the Pacific-based Southern Oscillation index. That is, isotopically light coral skeleton, indicating strong NE monsoon Red Sea inflow, correlates with periods of high Indian Ocean SST and with predominantly negative (El Ni{\~n}o) phases of the Southern Oscillation. The simultaneous nature of inter-decadal changes in Asian monsoon and ENSO behaviour suggest pan-Indo-Pacific tropical climate reorganisation and evolution.",

keywords = "El Nino, O-18/O-16, Paleoclimatology, Porites, Red Sea",

author = "R. Klein and Tudhope, {A. W.} and Chilcott, {C. P.} and J. P{\"a}tzold and Z. Abdulkarim and M. Fine and Fallick, {A. E.} and Y. Loya",

note = "Funding Information: All isotopic measurementsw ere carried out at the stable isotope laboratory at the SURRC, East Kil-bride, Glasgow. We thank Mr. T. Donnelly from the SURRC for his technical advice and assistance.W e also thank Phil Howell for supply of and advice with the use of the ARAND softwarep ackagef or spectral analysis, and Phil Jones for supply of climatic data. We express our gratitude to the Government of Eritrea, the Marine Resources Department (MRD), and the University of Asmara, for enabling us to perform the researchp roject in the southernR ed Sea. Special thanks are due to Dr. Chris Hillman from the MRD for his great assistance.T he manuscript benefited significantly from the suggestions of the two reviewers, Dr. Dave Anderson and Dr. Dan Schrag. This work was supported by the German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Researcha nd Development (GIF), and grants from the British Council and the Harold Wingate Foundation. [MK]",

year = "1997",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1016/s0012-821x(97)00021-6",

language = "אנגלית",

volume = "148",

pages = "381--394",

journal = "Earth and Planetary Science Letters",

issn = "0012-821X",

publisher = "Elsevier BV",

number = "1-2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Evaluating southern Red Sea corals as a proxy record for the Asian monsoon

AU - Klein, R.

AU - Tudhope, A. W.

AU - Chilcott, C. P.

AU - Pätzold, J.

AU - Abdulkarim, Z.

AU - Fine, M.

AU - Fallick, A. E.

AU - Loya, Y.

N1 - Funding Information: All isotopic measurementsw ere carried out at the stable isotope laboratory at the SURRC, East Kil-bride, Glasgow. We thank Mr. T. Donnelly from the SURRC for his technical advice and assistance.W e also thank Phil Howell for supply of and advice with the use of the ARAND softwarep ackagef or spectral analysis, and Phil Jones for supply of climatic data. We express our gratitude to the Government of Eritrea, the Marine Resources Department (MRD), and the University of Asmara, for enabling us to perform the researchp roject in the southernR ed Sea. Special thanks are due to Dr. Chris Hillman from the MRD for his great assistance.T he manuscript benefited significantly from the suggestions of the two reviewers, Dr. Dave Anderson and Dr. Dan Schrag. This work was supported by the German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Researcha nd Development (GIF), and grants from the British Council and the Harold Wingate Foundation. [MK]

PY - 1997/4

Y1 - 1997/4

N2 - Coral palaeoclimatic studies are under way at many sites throughout the wet tropics. However, arid environments have received less attention. Here we report a high-resolution, 63 yr record of coral δ18O and δ13C extracted from a Porites colony from the Dahlak Archipelago, off the Eritrean coast, in the southern Red Sea. The annual cycles of the coral δ18O and δ13C are inversely related while their inter-annual variations show a strong positive correlation, with similar inter-decadal trends. Inter-annual variations in coral δ18O show a relatively weak correlation with the southern Red Sea SST, but are strongly correlated with the Indian Ocean SST, especially on the decadal time-scale. The range of the inter-annual variations in the coral δ18O is high compared to changes in local SST, due to the amplifying effect of simultaneous changes in water isotopic composition. Due to this amplification of the climate signal the coral provides a better indication of regional oceanographic behaviour than the local SST record. The norrtheast monsoon signal in the coral δ18O dominates the mean annual signal and shows the best correlation with the instrumental data sets. It appears that variations in the coral δ18O are controlled mainly by variations in the intensity of surface water influx from the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea during the winter northeast monsoon. Of particular significance is that the decadal time-scale variations in the coral skeletal δ18O are closely correlated with both the Indian Ocean SST and with variations in the Pacific-based Southern Oscillation index. That is, isotopically light coral skeleton, indicating strong NE monsoon Red Sea inflow, correlates with periods of high Indian Ocean SST and with predominantly negative (El Niño) phases of the Southern Oscillation. The simultaneous nature of inter-decadal changes in Asian monsoon and ENSO behaviour suggest pan-Indo-Pacific tropical climate reorganisation and evolution.

AB - Coral palaeoclimatic studies are under way at many sites throughout the wet tropics. However, arid environments have received less attention. Here we report a high-resolution, 63 yr record of coral δ18O and δ13C extracted from a Porites colony from the Dahlak Archipelago, off the Eritrean coast, in the southern Red Sea. The annual cycles of the coral δ18O and δ13C are inversely related while their inter-annual variations show a strong positive correlation, with similar inter-decadal trends. Inter-annual variations in coral δ18O show a relatively weak correlation with the southern Red Sea SST, but are strongly correlated with the Indian Ocean SST, especially on the decadal time-scale. The range of the inter-annual variations in the coral δ18O is high compared to changes in local SST, due to the amplifying effect of simultaneous changes in water isotopic composition. Due to this amplification of the climate signal the coral provides a better indication of regional oceanographic behaviour than the local SST record. The norrtheast monsoon signal in the coral δ18O dominates the mean annual signal and shows the best correlation with the instrumental data sets. It appears that variations in the coral δ18O are controlled mainly by variations in the intensity of surface water influx from the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea during the winter northeast monsoon. Of particular significance is that the decadal time-scale variations in the coral skeletal δ18O are closely correlated with both the Indian Ocean SST and with variations in the Pacific-based Southern Oscillation index. That is, isotopically light coral skeleton, indicating strong NE monsoon Red Sea inflow, correlates with periods of high Indian Ocean SST and with predominantly negative (El Niño) phases of the Southern Oscillation. The simultaneous nature of inter-decadal changes in Asian monsoon and ENSO behaviour suggest pan-Indo-Pacific tropical climate reorganisation and evolution.

KW - El Nino

KW - O-18/O-16

KW - Paleoclimatology

KW - Porites

KW - Red Sea

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Evaluating southern Red Sea corals as a proxy record for the Asian monsoon

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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