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Organic Compounds as Proxy-Indicators of Sea Surface Palaeotemperature: The Uk 37 Index

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Long-Term Climatic Variations

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((ASII,volume 22))

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Abstract

The Uk 37 index is a proxy-indicator of sea surface temperature (SST). It is derived from the relative abundance of two organic compounds (long-chain alkenones) which are commonly found in Quaternary marine sediments. These compounds are biosynthesized by some species of algae of the Class Prymnesiophyceae, which includes the coccolithophorids. Uk 37 stratigraphy in ocean cores can provide time series records of local SST in the photic zone. Despite several biological and geochemical questions which constrain its applicability as a palaeothermometer, it has been successfully used in the study of temperature records over several glacial/interglacial transitions, and has increased the current understanding on the evolution of upwelling areas, el Niño events and rates of climatic change produced over hundreds, thousands or tens of thousands of years.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental and Analytical Chemistry Section, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock’s Close, Bristol, BS8 1TS, UK

    A. Rosell, J. Grimalt & G. Eglinton

  2. Departament de Química Ambiental, CID-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

    J. Grimalt

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  1. A. Rosell
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  2. J. Grimalt
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire Mixte CNRS-CEA, Centre des Faibles Radioactivités, F-91190, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

    Jean-Claude Duplessy  & Marie-Thérèse Spyridakis  & 

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Rosell, A., Grimalt, J., Eglinton, G. (1994). Organic Compounds as Proxy-Indicators of Sea Surface Palaeotemperature: The Uk 37 Index. In: Duplessy, JC., Spyridakis, MT. (eds) Long-Term Climatic Variations. NATO ASI Series, vol 22. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-79066-9_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-79066-9_9

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