Faunal and Oxygen Isotopic Paleotemperatures and the Amplitude of Glacial/Interglacial Temperature Changes in the Equatorial Atlantic, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico

Abstract

The amplitude of glacial/interglacial temperature changes in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and Equatorial Atlantic, and a generalized faunal paleotemperature curve for the Caribbean Sea for the last 125,000 yr have been determined by using a quantitative micropaleontological model. This model is based on a direct comparison of Pleistocene foraminiferal assemblages with Recent ones whose geographic distribution have been correlated with modern ocean surface temperatures. The results of such an analysis indicate a glacial/interglacial surface temperature variation of 5°C for the Caribbean Sen, 3–4°C for the Gulf of Mexico, and 5–6°C for equatorial waters off the west coast of Africa. Generalized paleotemperature curves derived from faunal and isotope data for the Caribbean indicate nearly identical temperature oscillations during the last 125,000 yr.