Experimental Verification of Stable Isotope and Trace Metal Incorporation in Living Planktonic Foraminifera

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This project will culture planktic foraminifera to address questions concerning the controls upon incorporation of stable isotopes and trace elements in the calcite skelteon. Topics to be addressed include: the role of seawater carbonate chemistry and of temperature in isotopic ratios in warm-and cold-water taxa, the relationship of Mg concentration to temperature, and the relation of Cd concentration to nutrient content. When the environmental controls on these tracers are better understood, it will be possible to use the geochemistry of fossil foraminifera to produce more accurate quantitative estimates of ocean and climate changes. The estimates can be used to test the accuracy of climate models in simulating climate under various conditions such as those of the recent past.