Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A 240-Year Stable Oxygen And Carbon Isotopic Record In A Coral From South Florida: Implications For The Prediction Of Precipitation In Southern Florida, Peter Koenraad Swart, Richard E. Dodge, Harold J. Hudson

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

This study reports on the δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C composition of the skeleton from a 240-year-old specimen of Montastraea faveolata growing in Biscayne National Park, South Florida. Annual variations in the δ¹⁸O of the skeleton deposited during the summer months show a bimodal correlation with summer rainfall. During wetter years, the δ¹⁸O of the coral skeleton and the amount of precipitation during the summer months are inversely correlated (r = -0. 7) reflecting dilution of the seawater by meteoric water lower in δ¹⁸O. During years in which summer rainfall is less …