Northwest Atlantic 116 Year Coralline Algae Mg/Ca Data ----------------------------------------------------------------------- World Data Center for Paleoclimatology, Boulder and NOAA Paleoclimatology Program ----------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: Please cite original reference when using these data, plus the data file URL and date accessed. NAME OF DATA SET: Northwest Atlantic 116 Year Coralline Algae Mg/Ca Data LAST UPDATE: 5/2012 (Original receipt by WDC Paleo) CONTRIBUTORS: Gamboa, G., J. Halfar, S. Hetzinger, W. Adey, T. Zack, B. Kunz, and D.E. Jacob. IGBP PAGES/WDCA CONTRIBUTION SERIES NUMBER: 2012-067 WDC PALEO CONTRIBUTION SERIES CITATION: Gamboa, G., et al. 2012. Northwest Atlantic 116 Year Coralline Algae Mg/Ca Data. IGBP PAGES/World Data Center for Paleoclimatology Data Contribution Series # 2012-067. NOAA/NCDC Paleoclimatology Program, Boulder CO, USA. ORIGINAL REFERENCE: Gamboa, G., J. Halfar, S. Hetzinger, W. Adey, T. Zack, B. Kunz, and D.E. Jacob. 2010. Mg/Ca ratios in coralline algae record northwest Atlantic temperature variations and North Atlantic Oscillation relationships. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 115, C12044, doi:10.1029/2010JC006262. ABSTRACT: Climate variability in the North Atlantic has been linked in part to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The NAO influences marine ecosystems in the northwestern Atlantic and transport variability of the cold Labrador Current. Understanding historic patterns of NAO variability requires long-term and high-resolution climate records that are not available from instrumental data. Here we present the first century-scale proxy record of sea surface temperature (SST) variability from the Newfoundland shelf, a region from which other annual-resolution shallow marine proxies are unavailable. The 116 year record was obtained from three sites along the eastern Newfoundland shelf using laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometry– determined Mg/Ca ratios in the crustose coralline alga Clathromorphum compactum. The alga is characterized by a high Mg-calcite skeleton exhibiting annual growth increments and a century-scale lifespan. Results indicate positive correlations between interannual variations in Mg/Ca ratios and both station-based and gridded instrumental SST. In addition, the record shows high spatial correlations to SST across the Newfoundland shelf and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Before 1950 the Mg/Ca proxy record reveals significant departures from gridded temperature records. While the Newfoundland shelf is generally considered a region of negative correlations to the NAO, the algal time series as well as a recent modeling study suggest a variable negative relationship with the NAO which is strongest after ~1960 and before the mid-1930s. GEOGRAPHIC REGION: Northwest Atlantic PERIOD OF RECORD: 1890 - 2004 AD FUNDING SOURCES: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery grant, Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences grant (Gr-7004), Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Feodor Lynen Fellowship). DATA FILE URLS: ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/contributions_by_author/gamboa2010/gamboa2010.txt ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/contributions_by_author/gamboa2010/gamboa2010.xls DESCRIPTION: 116 year Mg/Ca data from the massive coralline alga Clathromorphum compactum from the Northwest Atlantic. Living plants of C. compactum were collected from hard substrate via SCUBA at three localities along the eastern coastline of Newfoundland. Table 1. Site Information for C. compactum Specimens Collected Off Newfoundland, Canadaa Sample Site Location Lat. N Long. W Period SJ28-L1 Bay Bulls, St. Johns Newfoundland 47°18.496' 52°47.354' 1917-2006 SJ28-L2 Bay Bulls, St. Johns Newfoundland 47°18.496' 52°47.354' 1913-2006 SJ21-L1 Bay Bulls, St. Johns Newfoundland 47°18.496' 52°47.354' 1918-2006 SJ21-L2 Bay Bulls, St. Johns Newfoundland 47°18.496' 52°47.354' 1918-2006 QP4-3-L1 Quirpon Island Newfoundland 51°35.135' 55°25.490' 1931-2006 QP4-3-L2 Quirpon Island Newfoundland 51°35.135' 55°25.490' 1931-2006 170176 Cape St. Martin Newfoundland 50°1.5' 55°53' 1890-1963 DATA: Gamboa et al. 2011 Mg/Ca Year Mg/Ca 2004 0.70 2003 -0.27 2002 -0.26 2001 0.55 2000 0.60 1999 0.69 1998 -0.01 1997 -0.32 1996 -0.17 1995 -0.57 1994 -0.29 1993 0.06 1992 -0.60 1991 -0.65 1990 -0.29 1989 0.41 1988 -0.20 1987 0.08 1986 0.48 1985 -0.19 1984 -0.55 1983 0.82 1982 0.62 1981 0.36 1980 -0.35 1979 -0.40 1978 -0.64 1977 -0.05 1976 0.01 1975 -1.22 1974 -0.62 1973 -0.58 1972 -0.81 1971 -0.14 1970 0.34 1969 -0.49 1968 -0.15 1967 -0.09 1966 0.08 1965 -0.43 1964 -0.44 1963 -0.64 1962 -0.46 1961 -0.45 1960 -0.09 1959 -0.40 1958 -0.13 1957 -0.53 1956 -0.27 1955 -0.77 1954 -0.34 1953 -0.14 1952 0.67 1951 0.82 1950 0.06 1949 0.35 1948 -0.80 1947 0.20 1946 0.26 1945 0.34 1944 0.62 1943 1.27 1942 1.59 1941 0.98 1940 0.05 1939 0.36 1938 -0.12 1937 -0.44 1936 -0.15 1935 0.51 1934 0.55 1933 0.54 1932 0.55 1931 0.21 1930 -0.42 1929 0.71 1928 0.03 1927 -0.04 1926 -0.45 1925 0.21 1924 0.02 1923 -0.43 1922 0.26 1921 0.60 1920 0.47 1919 -0.34 1918 1.00 1917 -0.73 1916 -0.04 1915 -0.35 1914 -0.12 1913 -0.61 1912 -0.04 1911 0.05 1910 -0.41 1909 0.09 1908 0.62 1907 -0.64 1906 -1.03 1905 -0.43 1904 -0.57 1903 0.62 1902 1.09 1901 0.09 1900 -0.08 1899 0.28 1898 0.00 1897 0.14 1896 -0.40 1895 0.48 1894 -0.65 1893 -0.56 1892 -1.31 1891 0.01 1890 -0.18