Sr/Ca and Linear Extension Data for a Modern Orbicella faveolata Colony From Marquesas Keys, Florida, USA

The coral Strontium/Calcium (Sr/Ca) paleothermometer can provide a powerful proxy for centennial-scale sea-surface temperature (SST) variability in the Caribbean/Atlantic Ocean region. This data release presents a new, 150-year proxy reconstruction (1830-1980 C.E.) of monthly-resolved Sr/Ca-based SST estimates from the coral species Orbicella faveolata collected from the Marquesas Keys, Florida (FL), USA in 1980. The reconstruction shows pronounced decadal-scale variability with a range of 1 to 2 degrees Celsius (C). The coolest portion of the Sr/Ca-SST record coincides with the end of the Little Ice Age. Following the Little Ice Age, there was a trend of significant winter warming to present. Strong coherence among coral-based SST reconstructions in the Caribbean-Atlantic over the past century suggests a common driver of multidecadal SST trends throughout the region. Significant relationships occur between the Sr/Ca-SST record and Atlantic Multidecadal Variability. For further information regarding data collection and/or processing methods, refer to the associated journal article (Flannery and others, in press).

Flannery, J.A., Richey, J.N., Toth, L.T., and Mette, M.J., [in press], 20th century warming in lower Florida Keys dominated by increasing winter temperature: Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology.