# Central Great Barrier Reef, Porites spp. trace metals 1983-1998 CE #----------------------------------------------------------------------- # World Data Service for Paleoclimatology, Boulder # and # NOAA Paleoclimatology Program #----------------------------------------------------------------------- # Template Version 4.0 # Encoding: UTF-8 # NOTE: Please cite original publication, NOAA Landing Page URL, dataset and publication DOIs (where available), and date accessed when using downloaded data. # If there is no publication information, please cite investigator, study title, NOAA Landing Page URL, and date accessed. # # Description/Documentation lines begin with '#' followed by a space # Data lines have no '#' # # NOAA_Landing_Page: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/paleo-search/study/39021 # Landing_Page_Description: NOAA Landing Page of this file's parent study, which includes all study metadata. # # Study_Level_JSON_Metadata: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/metadata/published/paleo/json/noaa-coral-39021.json # Study_Level_JSON_Description: JSON metadata of this data file's parent study, which includes all study metadata. # # Data_Type: Corals and Sclerosponges # # Dataset_DOI: 10.25921/p7g3-qc81 # # Science_Keywords: #--------------------------------------- # Resource_Links # # Data_Download_Resource: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/coral/west_pacific/great_barrier/fallon2003/fallon2003-wheeler-metals.txt # Data_Download_Description: NOAA Template File; Wheeler Trace Metals Data # #--------------------------------------- # Contribution_Date # Date: 2024-02-12 #--------------------------------------- # File_Last_Modified_Date # Date: 2025-06-30 #--------------------------------------- # Title # Study_Name: Central Great Barrier Reef, Porites spp. trace metals 1983-1998 CE #--------------------------------------- # Investigators # Investigators: Fallon, S.J. (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8064-5903); McCulloch, M.T. (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1538-1558); Alibert, C. (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9113-7365) #--------------------------------------- # Description_Notes_and_Keywords # Description: Contributed as part of the Great Barrier Reef Coral Skeletal Records Database (GBRCD). # Provided Keywords: Great Barrier Reef, Coral Geochemistry, Sea Surface Temperature, LA-ICP-MS #--------------------------------------- # Publication # Authors: Fallon, S.J., McCulloch, M.T., Alibert, C. # Published_Date_or_Year: 2003 # Published_Title: Examining water temperature proxies in Porites corals from the Great Barrier Reef: a cross-shelf comparison # Journal_Name: Coral Reefs # Volume: 22 # Edition: # Issue: 4 # Pages: 389–404 # Report_Number: # DOI: 10.1007/s00338-003-0322-5 # Online_Resource: # Full_Citation: # Abstract: Cores from colonies of the coral species Porites sp. were collected from inshore, mid-shelf, and outer reef localities (central Great Barrier Reef) to test the robustness of the major elemental sea surface temperature (SST) proxies (B/Ca, Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca, U/Ca) to the influence of inshore processes. Time series analyses of Sr/Ca, U/Ca, B/Ca, and Mg/Ca are compared to sea surface temperature (SST) in order to provide calibrations for these elements. This study shows that there are significant variations between the corals with respect to some of the proxies. In some cases, variations of ~6 °C are observed for a single U/Ca value. This magnitude of variation is also seen in the Mg/Ca proxy and, to a smaller extent, in the B/Ca–SST relationship. In two of the corals, both Mg/Ca and U/Ca do not follow a seasonal signal. The Mg/Ca and U/Ca ratios for two inshore corals are significantly different than the offshore corals (lower and higher, respectively). The other two proxies (B/Ca and Sr/Ca) do not display any inshore vs. offshore variations except for one inshore site that did not have a clear seasonal signal for either of these proxies. The Sr/Ca–SST relationship is the most robust, with a temperature variation of ~2 °C for a single Sr/Ca value, which is within error for this technique. #--------------------------------------- # Publication # Authors: Fallon, S.J. # Published_Date_or_Year: 2000 # Published_Title: Environmental Records from Corals and Coralline Sponges # Journal_Name: # Volume: # Edition: # Issue: # Pages: # Report_Number: # DOI: 10.25911/5d778a502c764 # Online_Resource: # Full_Citation: Fallon, S.J. (2000), ‘Environmental Records from Corals and Coralline Sponges’, PhD Thesis, Australian National University, https://doi.org/10.25911/5d778a502c764. # Abstract: This research centers on the extraction of environmental information stored in the calcium carbonate skeletons of corals (Porites) and coralline sponges (Astrosclera willeyana). Elemental variations are measured in these samples using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. During this project, techniques were refined and developed to quantitatively measure major (B, Mg, Sr, Ba, U) and minor (Mn, Zn, Pb, REE’s) elemental abundances in corals and coralline sponges. This method was used to extract seasonal records from a high latitude coral living at its limits of cold-water tolerance in Japan. Seasonal cycles of major elements (B, Mg, Sr, U) were calibrated against in situ instrumental temperature monitors. Calibrations were in good agreement with other published reports. This coral also recorded wind-induced upwelling (both annual and El Nin~o related) by increases in the Ba/Ca ratio. The trace element annual patterns and slow growth rate also indicated that this coral had very slow/no extension during the cold winter months when water temperature was below 18 oC. Cores from Porites sp. coral colonies were also collected from inshore, mid-shelf and outer reef localities (central Great Barrier Reef) to test the robustness of the major elemental SST and runoff proxies (B/Ca, Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca, Ba/Ca, U/Ca). The inshore reefs selected for this study are heavily influenced by river runoff whereas the mid-reef and outer-reef locations are not. It is shown that Ba/Ca provides an excellent proxy for river runoff. Time series analyses of Sr/Ca, U/Ca, B/Ca and Mg/Ca are compared to in situ sea surface temperature (SST) and/or IGOSS NMC weekly satellite SST to provide calibrations for these elements. Previous workers have noted differences in the calibration of Sr/Ca vs. SST; this LA-ICP-MS dataset shows a slight variation between different corals. This suggests small-scale intra- coral variability. Both the U/Ca and Mg/Ca have calibrations within error for mid-shelf and outer reef corals but the calibrations differ for the inshore corals. Sr/Ca and B/Ca appear to be the most robust of the elemental temperature proxies in terms of recording water temperature. Measurements of coral manganese suggest a seasonal cycle closely linked to solar radiation and wind. Increased solar radiation may increase the dissolved seawater Mn that result in corals having elevated concentrations of Mn during the summer. The use of corals as recorders of marine pollution was examined on the island of Misima in Papua New Guinea where open-cut gold mining commenced in 1989. This mining caused increased sedimentation affecting the nearby fringing coral reef to varying degrees, causing coral mortality (complete suffocation) in some areas. This sediment is made up of completely weathered quartz feldspar, greenstone and schist. These rocks have distinct chemical constituents (rare earth elements [REE], zinc and lead etc.), which are entering the near-shore environment in considerably higher than normal concentrations. Eight coral colonies (2 from high sedimentation, 2 transitional, 2 minor and 2 unaffected control sites) were analyzed for Mn, Y, La, Ce, Zn and Pb. All sites show low steady “background” levels prior to the commencement of mining. After mine construction began in 1988, all sites aside from the control show dramatic increases of Mn, Y, La, and Ce associated with the increased sedimentation. Zn and Pb increase after 1989 when ore processing began. The concentration of these elements in these corals decreases as the distance from the mine increases. Rare earth elements (REE) measured in two corals suggest a pattern different from “normal” seawater. When the coral REE pattern is compared to seawater an enrichment of the light and middle REE’s appear. The heavy REE’s are depleted relative to the seawater pattern. This suggests the nearshore seawater REE’s are influenced by island weathering. Coralline sponges have been proposed as a new source of tropical paleoclimatic information. Profiles of d13C in coralline sponges have documented (better and more accurately than corals) the atmospheric increase of Due to their very slow growth rates ~0.2 mm yr-1 sponges are better suited to recording and providing long-term environmental information rather than annual information. These sponges appear to smooth the record stored in their skeleton by adding secondary aragonite near the base of the living tissue layer. This smoothing limits their use as annual environmental recorders but still enables their use for decadal or longer environmental fluctuations. Smoothed records of Sr/Ca from five sponges around the Southwest Pacific C associated with increased fossil fuel consumption. suggest that these sponges are able to capture 5 yr. and longer seawater temperature anomalies over the past 50-200 years. The temperature sensitivity of Sr/Ca in sponges is 7 to 12 times larger than corals with ~0.7-0.9 mmol/mol DSr/Ca per oC for sponges compared to ~0.07 mmol/mol DSr/Ca per oC for corals. #--------------------------------------- # Funding_Agency # Funding_Agency_Name: Australian National University # Grant: #--------------------------------------- # Site_Information # Site_Name: Wheeler Reef # Location: Great Barrier Reef, Australia # Northernmost_Latitude: -18.81 # Southernmost_Latitude: -18.81 # Easternmost_Longitude: 147.51 # Westernmost_Longitude: 147.51 # Elevation_m: #--------------------------------------- # Data_Collection # Collection_Name: Wheeler trace metals Fallon2003 # First_Year: 1983 # Last_Year: 1985 # Time_Unit: year Common Era # Core_Length_m: 2.8 # Parameter_Keywords: trace metals # Notes: Porites lobata #--------------------------------------- # Chronology_Information # Chronology: #--------------------------------------- # Variables # PaST_Thesaurus_Download_Resource: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/paleo-search/skos/past-thesaurus.rdf # PaST_Thesaurus_Download_Description: Paleoenvironmental Standard Terms (PaST) Thesaurus terms, definitions, and relationships in SKOS format. # # Data variables follow that are preceded by "##" in columns one and two. # Variables list, one per line, shortname-tab-var components: what, material, error, units, seasonality, data type, detail, method, C or N for Character or Numeric data) # ## Distance depth,,,millimeter,,corals and sclerosponges,,,N,Distance from top of coral ## age_CE age,,,year Common Era,,corals and sclerosponges,,,N, ## B/Ca Boron/Calcium,Porites lobata,,mole per mole,,corals and sclerosponges,,inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry,N,laser ablation inductively-coupled mass spectrometry ## Mg/Ca Magnesium/Calcium,Porites lobata,,mole per mole,,corals and sclerosponges,,inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry,N,laser ablation inductively-coupled mass spectrometry ## Sr/Ca Strontium/Calcium,Porites lobata,,mole per mole,,corals and sclerosponges,,inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry,N,laser ablation inductively-coupled mass spectrometry ## Ba/Ca Barium/Calcium,Porites lobata,,mole per mole,,corals and sclerosponges,,inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry,N,laser ablation inductively-coupled mass spectrometry ## U/Ca Uranium/Calcium,Porites lobata,,mole per mole,,corals and sclerosponges,,inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry,N,laser ablation inductively-coupled mass spectrometry #------------------------ # Data: # Data lines follow (have no #) # Data line format - tab-delimited text, variable short name as header # Missing_Values: NA Distance age_CE B/Ca Mg/Ca Sr/Ca Ba/Ca U/Ca 0.0000 1985.635 0.000551 0.003692 0.008775 0.00003440 0.00000113 0.3686 1985.615 0.000525 0.003651 0.008787 0.00003730 0.00000116 0.7372 1985.596 0.000511 0.003482 0.008893 0.00003490 0.00000120 1.1058 1985.577 0.000499 0.003384 0.008862 0.00003920 0.00000120 1.4743 1985.558 0.000505 0.003302 0.008824 0.00004350 0.00000119 1.8429 1985.538 0.000518 0.003209 0.008892 0.00004090 0.00000122 2.2115 1985.519 0.000520 0.003163 0.008980 0.00003540 0.00000126 2.5801 1985.500 0.000543 0.003143 0.009081 0.00002810 0.00000132 2.9487 1985.481 0.000514 0.003553 0.009020 0.00003900 0.00000113 3.3173 1985.462 0.000496 0.004046 0.009009 0.00004790 0.00000112 3.6859 1985.442 0.000479 0.004032 0.008885 0.00005000 0.00000113 4.0545 1985.423 0.000461 0.004097 0.008949 0.00008400 0.00000105 4.4230 1985.404 0.000462 0.003943 0.008962 0.00005100 0.00000113 4.7916 1985.385 0.000461 0.003668 0.008880 0.00005990 0.00000118 5.1602 1985.365 0.000445 0.003880 0.008974 0.00003860 0.00000111 5.5288 1985.346 0.000440 0.003976 0.008916 0.00001900 0.00000098 5.8974 1985.327 0.000450 0.004248 0.008741 0.00001070 0.00000096 6.2660 1985.308 0.000449 0.003972 0.008632 0.00001010 0.00000104 6.6346 1985.288 0.000438 0.004047 0.008656 0.00001030 0.00000101 7.0032 1985.269 0.000431 0.004152 0.008810 0.00000757 0.00000097 7.3717 1985.250 0.000429 0.004354 0.008580 0.00000718 0.00000091 7.7403 1985.231 0.000420 0.004113 0.008557 0.00000931 0.00000092 8.1089 1985.212 0.000420 0.004016 0.008709 0.00001040 0.00000096 8.4775 1985.192 0.000416 0.004016 0.008477 0.00000738 0.00000094 8.8461 1985.173 0.000402 0.004226 0.008646 0.00000584 0.00000097 9.2147 1985.154 0.000390 0.004251 0.008538 0.00000489 0.00000092 9.5833 1985.135 0.000431 0.003751 0.008776 0.00000699 0.00000106 9.9519 1985.115 0.000413 0.003889 0.008531 0.00000429 0.00000105 10.3204 1985.096 0.000419 0.004086 0.008584 0.00000394 0.00000098 10.6890 1985.077 0.000428 0.003884 0.008704 0.00000473 0.00000105 11.0576 1985.058 0.000413 0.003945 0.008577 0.00000366 0.00000093 11.4262 1985.038 0.000425 0.004210 0.008624 0.00000381 0.00000094 11.7948 1985.019 0.000418 0.003959 0.008616 0.00000400 0.00000099 12.1634 1985.000 0.000426 0.003609 0.008743 0.00000445 0.00000108 12.5320 1984.981 0.000424 0.003474 0.008702 0.00000551 0.00000109 12.9006 1984.962 0.000432 0.003793 0.008662 0.00000629 0.00000106 13.2691 1984.942 0.000435 0.003836 0.008752 0.00000636 0.00000109 13.6377 1984.923 0.000441 0.003932 0.008751 0.00000649 0.00000105 14.0063 1984.904 0.000446 0.003910 0.008755 0.00000634 0.00000105 14.3749 1984.885 0.000455 0.003848 0.008773 0.00000583 0.00000106 14.7435 1984.865 0.000467 0.003955 0.008771 0.00000462 0.00000104 15.1121 1984.846 0.000470 0.004067 0.008839 0.00000386 0.00000107 15.4807 1984.827 0.000466 0.004159 0.008779 0.00000381 0.00000102 15.8493 1984.808 0.000468 0.004089 0.008737 0.00000368 0.00000104 16.2178 1984.788 0.000476 0.003807 0.008848 0.00000358 0.00000109 16.5864 1984.769 0.000478 0.003638 0.008836 0.00000348 0.00000113 16.9550 1984.750 0.000481 0.003588 0.008824 0.00000304 0.00000108 17.3236 1984.731 0.000484 0.003587 0.008816 0.00000290 0.00000111 17.6922 1984.712 0.000483 0.003679 0.008826 0.00000313 0.00000113 18.0608 1984.692 0.000473 0.003630 0.008930 0.00000320 0.00000116 18.4294 1984.673 0.000484 0.003492 0.008810 0.00000309 0.00000117 18.7980 1984.654 0.000482 0.003546 0.008887 0.00000337 0.00000114 19.1665 1984.635 0.000474 0.003582 0.008811 0.00000315 0.00000112 19.5351 1984.615 0.000467 0.003537 0.008792 0.00000279 0.00000109 19.9037 1984.596 0.000475 0.003513 0.008935 0.00000299 0.00000113 20.2723 1984.577 0.000474 0.003339 0.009094 0.00000314 0.00000119 20.6409 1984.558 0.000473 0.003180 0.009160 0.00000356 0.00000128 21.0095 1984.538 0.000502 0.003203 0.009127 0.00000357 0.00000130 21.3781 1984.519 0.000510 0.003016 0.009142 0.00000343 0.00000133 21.7467 1984.500 0.000514 0.003042 0.009102 0.00000366 0.00000136 22.1152 1984.481 0.000528 0.002986 0.009202 0.00000343 0.00000130 22.4838 1984.462 0.000521 0.003256 0.009147 0.00000356 0.00000127 22.8524 1984.442 0.000518 0.003214 0.008983 0.00000362 0.00000125 23.2210 1984.423 0.000510 0.003651 0.009052 0.00000404 0.00000115 23.5896 1984.404 0.000512 0.003724 0.008856 0.00000413 0.00000109 23.9582 1984.385 0.000499 0.003401 0.008958 0.00000486 0.00000121 24.3268 1984.365 0.000489 0.003415 0.008817 0.00000565 0.00000112 24.6954 1984.346 0.000445 0.003680 0.008798 0.00000380 0.00000109 25.0639 1984.327 0.000444 0.003899 0.008819 0.00000328 0.00000106 25.4325 1984.308 0.000449 0.003640 0.008910 0.00000396 0.00000114 25.8011 1984.288 0.000455 0.003836 0.008826 0.00000466 0.00000111 26.1697 1984.269 0.000474 0.003864 0.008722 0.00000559 0.00000103 26.5383 1984.250 0.000456 0.004174 0.008710 0.00000392 0.00000098 26.9069 1984.231 0.000438 0.004111 0.008715 0.00000396 0.00000098 27.2755 1984.212 0.000456 0.004093 0.008672 0.00000391 0.00000097 27.6441 1984.192 0.000446 0.003639 0.008818 0.00000465 0.00000109 28.0126 1984.173 0.000436 0.003689 0.008800 0.00000442 0.00000107 28.3812 1984.154 0.000409 0.003991 0.008680 0.00000381 0.00000102 28.7498 1984.135 0.000419 0.004111 0.008760 0.00000439 0.00000099 29.1184 1984.115 0.000420 0.004125 0.008602 0.00000438 0.00000099 29.4870 1984.096 0.000431 0.003975 0.008798 0.00000494 0.00000100 29.8556 1984.077 0.000440 0.004123 0.008699 0.00000362 0.00000098 30.2242 1984.058 0.000461 0.004507 0.008751 0.00000402 0.00000096 30.5928 1984.038 0.000453 0.004706 0.008713 0.00000459 0.00000093 30.9613 1984.019 0.000439 0.004118 0.008823 0.00000374 0.00000097 31.3299 1984.000 0.000439 0.003746 0.008744 0.00000404 0.00000107 31.6985 1983.981 0.000427 0.003700 0.008702 0.00000300 0.00000101 32.0671 1983.962 0.000424 0.003612 0.008788 0.00000296 0.00000112 32.4357 1983.942 0.000429 0.003558 0.008843 0.00000412 0.00000119 32.8043 1983.923 0.000409 0.003828 0.008761 0.00000225 0.00000105 33.1729 1983.904 0.000407 0.003903 0.008637 0.00000320 0.00000101 33.5415 1983.885 0.000434 0.003611 0.008638 0.00000337 0.00000106 33.9100 1983.865 0.000424 0.003373 0.008781 0.00000331 0.00000111 34.2786 1983.846 0.000423 0.003616 0.008923 0.00000346 0.00000112 34.6472 1983.827 0.000445 0.003550 0.008827 0.00000393 0.00000120 35.0158 1983.808 0.000415 0.003505 0.008837 0.00000367 0.00000114 35.3844 1983.788 0.000427 0.003359 0.008979 0.00000271 0.00000117 35.7530 1983.769 0.000418 0.003639 0.008833 0.00000247 0.00000117 36.1216 1983.750 0.000423 0.003495 0.008904 0.00000269 0.00000117 36.4902 1983.731 0.000434 0.003552 0.008986 0.00000245 0.00000119 36.8587 1983.712 0.000453 0.003496 0.009029 0.00000242 0.00000125 37.2273 1983.692 0.000470 0.003623 0.008918 0.00000393 0.00000114 37.5959 1983.673 0.000488 0.003621 0.008949 0.00000455 0.00000116 37.9645 1983.654 0.000486 0.003692 0.008890 0.00000358 0.00000117 38.3331 1983.635 0.000498 0.003587 0.008958 0.00000331 0.00000116 38.7017 1983.615 0.000483 0.003331 0.008886 0.00000297 0.00000112 39.0703 1983.596 0.000528 0.002992 0.009130 0.00000339 0.00000136 39.4389 1983.577 0.000513 0.003076 0.009049 0.00000380 0.00000128 39.8074 1983.558 0.000505 0.003035 0.009029 0.00000396 0.00000128 40.1760 1983.538 0.000461 0.003087 0.009022 0.00000381 0.00000126 40.5446 1983.519 0.000470 0.003272 0.009014 0.00000343 0.00000120 40.9132 1983.500 0.000467 0.003350 0.009038 0.00000312 0.00000116 41.2818 1983.481 0.000473 0.003438 0.008965 0.00000323 0.00000114 41.6504 1983.462 0.000454 0.003488 0.008908 0.00000330 0.00000112 42.0190 1983.442 0.000466 0.003492 0.008889 0.00000345 0.00000111 42.3876 1983.423 0.000476 0.003466 0.008900 0.00000366 0.00000111 42.7561 1983.404 0.000478 0.003457 0.008858 0.00000332 0.00000107 43.1247 1983.385 0.000477 0.003540 0.008925 0.00000299 0.00000107 43.4933 1983.365 0.000470 0.003544 0.008908 0.00000277 0.00000108 43.8619 1983.346 0.000463 0.003568 0.008844 0.00000287 0.00000109 44.2305 1983.327 0.000460 0.003723 0.008816 0.00000337 0.00000108 44.5991 1983.308 0.000469 0.003654 0.008804 0.00000383 0.00000105 44.9677 1983.288 0.000469 0.003872 0.008809 0.00000382 0.00000106 45.3363 1983.269 0.000436 0.004067 0.008762 0.00000387 0.00000103 45.7048 1983.250 0.000451 0.004175 0.008713 0.00000381 0.00000099 46.0734 1983.231 0.000440 0.004200 0.008771 0.00000313 0.00000099 46.4420 1983.212 0.000435 0.004065 0.008797 0.00000293 0.00000102 46.8106 1983.192 0.000427 0.004137 0.008791 0.00000281 0.00000101 47.1792 1983.173 0.000435 0.004205 0.008755 0.00000290 0.00000100 47.5478 1983.154 0.000440 0.004195 0.008694 0.00000317 0.00000100