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Magnesium in subaqueous speleothems as a potential palaeotemperature proxy

Author

Listed:
  • Russell Drysdale

    (The University of Melbourne
    Université Savoie Mont Blanc)

  • Isabelle Couchoud

    (The University of Melbourne
    Université Savoie Mont Blanc)

  • Giovanni Zanchetta

    (University of Pisa)

  • Ilaria Isola

    (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia)

  • Eleonora Regattieri

    (Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse, IGG-CNR)

  • John Hellstrom

    (The University of Melbourne)

  • Aline Govin

    (Paris-Saclay University)

  • Polychronis C. Tzedakis

    (University College London)

  • Trevor Ireland

    (The Australian National University)

  • Ellen Corrick

    (The University of Melbourne)

  • Alan Greig

    (The University of Melbourne)

  • Henri Wong

    (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation)

  • Leonardo Piccini

    (Universita degli Studi di Firenze)

  • Peter Holden

    (The Australian National University)

  • Jon Woodhead

    (The University of Melbourne)

Abstract

Few palaeoclimate archives beyond the polar regions preserve continuous and datable palaeotemperature proxy time series over multiple glacial-interglacial cycles. This hampers efforts to develop a more coherent picture of global patterns of past temperatures. Here we show that Mg concentrations in a subaqueous speleothem from an Italian cave track regional sea-surface temperatures over the last 350,000 years. The Mg shows higher values during warm climate intervals and converse patterns during cold climate stages. In contrast to previous studies, this implicates temperature, not rainfall, as the principal driver of Mg variability. The depositional setting of the speleothem gives rise to Mg partition coefficients that are more temperature dependent than other calcites, enabling the effect of temperature change on Mg partitioning to greatly exceed the effects of changes in source-water Mg/Ca. Subaqueous speleothems from similar deep-cave environments should be capable of providing palaeotemperature information over multiple glacial-interglacial cycles.

Suggested Citation

  • Russell Drysdale & Isabelle Couchoud & Giovanni Zanchetta & Ilaria Isola & Eleonora Regattieri & John Hellstrom & Aline Govin & Polychronis C. Tzedakis & Trevor Ireland & Ellen Corrick & Alan Greig & , 2020. "Magnesium in subaqueous speleothems as a potential palaeotemperature proxy," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-18083-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18083-7
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    Cited by:

    1. Nicolas Misailidis Stríkis & Plácido Fabrício Silva Melo Buarque & Francisco William Cruz & Juan Pablo Bernal & Mathias Vuille & Ernesto Tejedor & Matheus Simões Santos & Marília Harumi Shimizu & Ange, 2024. "Modern anthropogenic drought in Central Brazil unprecedented during last 700 years," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.

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