Pigmy Basin Cores MD02-2553 and PBBC-1 Foraminiferal Census Data

Paleoceanographers use the distribution of planktic foraminifers in downcore sediment samples to estimate past oceanographic and paleoclimate conditions. In this data release, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists provide foraminiferal census data (species relative abundance and raw counts) from cores taken in Pigmy Basin (located in the Gulf of America) aboard the research vessel (R/V) Marion Dufresne in 2002 (MD02-2553) and on the R/V Longhorn in 2003 (PBBC-1). The MD02-2553 census data cover the past 10,000 years, and the PBBC-1 census data cover the past 1,400 years. The downcore relative abundance of Globigerinoides sacculifer (updated taxonomic name: Trilobatus sacculifer) is discussed in Richey and others (2007) for PBBC-1, and Poore and others (2004, 2005, 2011) for MD02-2553. Further information regarding scientific interpretations, data collection, and processing methods can be found in their associated journal articles.

Poore, R.Z., Quinn, T.M., and Verardo, S., 2004, Century-scale movement of the Atlantic Intertropical Convergence Zone linked to solar variability: Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 31, no. 12, https://doi.org/10.1029/2004GL019940.

Poore, R.Z., Pavich, M.J., and Grissino-Mayer, H.D., 2005, Record of the North American southwest monsoon from Gulf of Mexico sediment cores: Geology, vol. 33, no. 3, p. 209–212, https://doi.org/10.1130/g21040.1.

Poore, R.Z., Verardo, S., Caplan, J., Pavich, K., and Quinn, T., 2011, Planktic foraminiferal relative abundance and trends in Gulf of Mexico Holocene sediments: Records of climate variability, chap. 22 of Buster, N.A., and Holmes, C.W., eds., v. 3, Geology of Tunnell Jr., J.W., Felder, D.L., and Earle, S.A., eds., Gulf of Mexico: Origin, waters, and biota: College Station, Tex., Texas A&M University Press, p. 367–380.

Richey, J.N., Poore, R.Z., Flower, B.P., and Quinn, T.M., 2007, 1400 yr multiproxy record of climate variability from the northern Gulf of Mexico: Geology, vol. 35, no. 5, p. 423–426, https://doi.org/10.1130/g23507a.1.