Historical February Sea-Surface Temperature Estimates Utilising Diatom Transfer Functions with Core MD88-787

The purpose of this study was to estimate past sea-surface temperature in the Southeast Indian Ocean. The accumulation of diatom microplankton assemblages in sediments being the proxy for these records of climatic change. \n\nA transfer function is a mathematical method that allows quantitative estimations of environmental parameters from past biogenic sedimentation. In this study, a diatom transfer function was established to relate biological species to selected environmental parameter of the ocean (sea-surface temp). These equations were then employed on observed fossil species from core samples to provide quantitative estimates of sea-surface temperature.\n\nEstimates of sea-surface temperature are given here based on the assemblages of diatoms found in core MD88-787. The information provided gives the extrapolated age-scale through the core, and two estimates of feb SST based on different diatom transfer functions (DTF 109/24/6 and DTF 166/34/4). \n\nIt is probable that the 'real' SST signal lies between the model estimates. The model diagnostics and lower number of non-analogue events from DTF 109/24/6 over that of results produced by DTF 166/34/4 suggest that SST estimates are closer to those provided by the former model.