Interannual and Decadal Variability of the Western Pacific Sea Surface Condition for the Years 1787-2000: Reconstruction Based on Stable Isotope Record from a Guam Coral

Authors

Ryuji Asami, Tohoku University
Tsutomu Yamada, Tohoku University
Yasufumi Iryu, Tohoku University
Terrence M. Quinn, University of South FloridaFollow
Christopher P. Meyer, University of Florida
Gustav Paulay, University of Florida

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-27-2005

Keywords

coral, western Pacific warm pool, decadal variability

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1029/2004JC002555

Abstract

We present a monthly resolved, 213‐year stable isotope time series from a coral from Guam (13°N, 145°E), which is located on the northern edge of the western Pacific warm pool. Oxygen isotopic composition of the coral skeleton (δ¹⁸O_coral) shows seasonal, interannual, and decadal variability, which documents significant oceanographic changes related to thermal and hydrologic variations in this region. The δ¹⁸O_coral anomaly reflects sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly and sea surface salinity (SSS) anomaly with significant r values of −0.69 and 0.49, respectively, which are strongly linked to oceanographic changes that occur during El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) warm and cool phases. We identified 46 ENSO warm (El Niño) and 53 cool phases (La Niña) in the coral record, which are consistent with those phases reconstructed by Niño 3.4 SST anomaly. Spectral analyses of the δ¹⁸O_coral anomaly record for the years 1790–1999 identified significant peaks around ∼3 to ∼7 years. These results indicate that the Guam coral has recorded ENSO periodicity. The δ¹⁸O_coral anomaly shows decadal variability of ∼15‐ to ∼45‐year periodicity with significant shifts ( < 0.2‰) from warmer to cooler condition and vice versa. An accumulative decrease in δ¹⁸O_coral time series may imply ∼0.75°C warming of SST and ∼0.23‰ freshening of seawater δ¹⁸O, corresponding to a decrease of SSS by ∼0.85, in the northwestern tropical Pacific over the last 2 centuries.

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Was this content written or created while at USF?

Yes

Citation / Publisher Attribution

Journal of Geophysical Research - Oceans, v. 110, issue C5, art. C05018

Copyright 2005 by the American Geophysical Union.

Scholar Commons Citation

Asami, Ryuji; Yamada, Tsutomu; Iryu, Yasufumi; Quinn, Terrence M.; Meyer, Christopher P.; and Paulay, Gustav, "Interannual and Decadal Variability of the Western Pacific Sea Surface Condition for the Years 1787-2000: Reconstruction Based on Stable Isotope Record from a Guam Coral" (2005). Marine Science Faculty Publications. 107.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/msc_facpub/107