NOAA/WDS Paleoclimatology - Southern Great Barrier Reef, Porites spp. luminescence 1921-2011 CE

The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) is a large-scale climatic phenomenon modulating ocean-atmosphere variability on decadal time scales. While precipitation and river flow variability in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) catchments are sensitive to PDO phases, the extent to which the PDO influences coral reefs is poorly understood. Here, six Porites coral cores were used to produce a composite record of coral luminescence variability (runoff proxy) and identify drivers of terrestrial influence on the Keppel reefs, southern GBR. We found that coral skeletal luminescence effectively captured seasonal, inter-annual and decadal variability of river discharge and rainfall from the Fitzroy River catchment. Most importantly, although the influence of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events was evident in the luminescence records, the variability in the coral luminescence composite record was significantly explained by the PDO. Negative luminescence anomalies (reduced runoff) were associated with El Niño years during positive PDO phases while positive luminescence anomalies (increased runoff) coincided with strong/moderate La Niña years during negative PDO phases. This study provides clear evidence that not only ENSO but also the PDO have significantly affected runoff regimes at the Keppel reefs for at least a century, and suggests that upcoming hydrological disturbances and ecological responses in the southern GBR region will be mediated by the future evolution of these sources of climate variability.

本存档的古气候学（Paleoclimatology）研究数据集可从美国国家海洋和大气管理局（National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA）国家环境信息中心（National Centers for Environmental Information, NCEI）获取，隶属于古气候学世界数据服务（World Data Service for Paleoclimatology, WDS）。该数据集关联的NCEI研究类型为珊瑚类。数据集包含分布于澳大利亚的珊瑚与硬海绵（sclerosponges）相关参数。本数据集的时间覆盖范围为距今29年至距今-61年（BP，距今年份单位）。如需了解参数与研究地点的详细信息，请查阅元数据（metadata）。使用本数据集时，请引用该研究。