EXPLORING THE TEMPERATURE AND HYDROLOGIC RESPONSE OF TROPICAL OCEANS TO VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS OVER THE LAST 400 YEARS USING CORAL GEOCHEMISTRY

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2020

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Abstract

Volcanic eruptions perturb the Earth’s climate system. Open questions remain about the response of the hydrologic cycle and internal variability. Coral skeletal strontium to calcium ratios (Sr/Ca) and oxygen isotopic ratios (δ18O) record temperature and seawater oxygen isotopic signatures in the oceans, thus climatic perturbations from eruptions maybe recorded in the coral skeletal chemistry. I quantify the temperature and hydrologic response of the tropical climate system to eruptions since 1640 CE based on coral geochemical records. Data from all basins except the central and eastern Pacific show cooling and increases in seawater δ18O within the first three years of an eruption. Statistical significance of identified signals was tested by comparing against non-eruption sections from the records. Analyses with paired Sr/Ca and δ18O illustrate that the number of observations still limits detection of small signals provided by the eruptions.

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