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

本计画将培养南极有孔虫，以探讨稳定同位素及微量元素对方解石介层的控制。要解决的问题包括：海水碳酸盐化学和温度的同位素比率在温暖和冷水类群的作用，镁浓度与温度的关系，镉浓度与营养成分的关系。当对这些示踪剂的环境控制有了更好的了解时，就有可能利用有孔虫化石的地球化学来对海洋和气候变化进行更准确的定量估计。这些估计值可用于测试气候模式在模拟各种条件下（如最近的过去）的气候时的准确性。

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.