CoralPaleoclimatology 

Terry Chang

Background informationCoral and other records such as fossils, pol-

lens, ice cores help us understand how cli-mate is changing.

El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the short-term climate variability.  

The abnormal warming of the ocean surface near the equator leads to change in the global atmospheric circulation and relates to rainfall distribution which causes climate change

Where does the data come from?

Coral paleoclimatology comes from corals from all over the world (North America, Africa, and mostly near Australia and Phillipenes

http://cobwebsandseaslugs.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/coral_reef_locations.jpg

What kinds of useful data does it produce? and identify some data it does not produceProduce: The declining of corals throughout

the years. The area where most climate change occurs. Yearly calcification of density of coral and annual yearly extension. Rate of calcium carbohydrate by looking at statistics and graphs. Also, which organisms (corals) lived in the past

Not produce: Some dates may be inaccuarate and not that specific in date. Also doesn’t provide with the peak of the density.

What is the relationship between the data and climate?As the calcification rate decrease, the tem-

perature of water increases. As this happen gradually, causing the ocean temperature to change and later the climate changes

As the temperature increases, the CO2 level increases which affects the calcification. The calcium carbonate of coals decreases when temperature increases

Provide at least one diagram/image of "data" gathered your way which shows how to interpret this kind of data.

http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0007/34468/Calcification.jpg

http://www.usgcrp.gov/usgcrp/Library/nationalassessment/LargerImages/SectorGraphics/Coastal/CoralMaps.jpg

History and prediction of calcium carbonate saturation