Coral Sr thermometer simplified from Sr/Ca thermometer

Cubic sub-samples obtained from a Porites coral slice collected from Xisha Islands, South China Sea, were weighed with precise micro-balance. The Sr and Ca concentrations were analyzed with isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry. Our results demonstrate that Ca concentrations in all samples are very uniform (mean = 9.52mmol/g, 2σ = 0.02mmol/g) ; Sr concentrations and Sr/Ca ratios are well correlated (correlation coefficient r = 0.9968) . It implies that the Sr thermometer can replace Sr/Ca thermometer and the determination of Ca can be omitted. This can save up to 50% time and cost, and more importantly, paleoclimate study using coral proxy can now be carried out in routine Sr isotope laboratories.link_to_subscribed_fulltex