Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Oxygen isotopes and sea level

Abstract

From the time that detailed oxygen isotope records derived from foraminifera living in the constant-temperature environment of the abyssal ocean became available, there has been a discrepancy between the ice volume record that these records imply, and that derived from the altitude of dated coral terraces around the world. Here, we re-examine the data and conclude that the temperature of the abyssal ocean has been an actively varying component of the climate system.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Emiliani, C. J. Geol. 63, 538–538 (1955).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Epstein, S., Buchsbaum, R., Lowenstam, H. A. & Urey, H. C. Bull. geol. Soc. Am. 62, 417 (1951).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Epstein, S. & Mayeda, T. Geochim. cosmochim. Ada. 4, 213–224 (1953).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Berger, W. H., Killingley, J. S. & Vincent, E. Oceanol. Acta 1, 221–230 (1978).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Duplessy, J.-C., Moyes, J. & Pujol, C. Nature 286, 479–481 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Shackleton, N. J., Imbrie, J. & Hall, M. A. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 65, 233–244 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Broecker, W. S. Science 188, 1116–1121 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Dodge, R. E., Fairbanks, R. G., Benniger, L. K. & Maurrasse, F. Science 219, 1423–1424 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Chappell, J. Search 14, 99–101 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Veeh, H. H. & Chappell, J. Science 167, 862–865 (1970).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Chappell, J. Bull. geol. Soc. Am. 85, 553–570 (1974).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Bloom, A. L., Broecker, W. S., Chappell, J., Matthews, R. K. & Mesolella, K. J. Quat. Res. 4, 185–205 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Chappell, J. & Polach, H. A. Bull. geol. Soc. Am. 87, 235–240 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Chappell, J. & Veeh, H. H. Nature 276, 602–603 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Shackleton, N. J. & Matthews, R. K. Nature 268, 618–620 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Fairbanks, R. G. & Matthews, R. K. Quat. Res. 10, 181–196 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Aharon, P., Chappell, J. & Compston, W. Nature 283, 649–651 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Chappell, J. & Veeh, H. H., Bull. geol. Soc. Am. 89, 356–368 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Kohishi, K., Omura, A. & Nakamichi, O. Proc. 2nd int. Coral Reef Symp. 2, 595–613 (1973).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Neef, G. & Veeh, H. H. Nature 269, 682–683 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Van Andel Tj., Veevers, J. J. Bur. Miner. Res., Aust. Bull. 3 (1967).

  22. Jongsma, D. Nature 228, 150–151 (1970).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Veeh, H. H. & Veevers, J. J. Nature 226, 536–537 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  24. Milliman, J. D. & Emery, K. O. Science 162, 1121–1122 (1970).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. Curray, J. Recent Sediments, Northwest Gulf of Mexico (ed. Sheppard, F. P.) 221–266 (American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Tulsa, 1960).

    Google Scholar 

  26. Walcott, R. I., Quat. Res. 2, 1–14 (1970).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Cathles, L. M. in Earth Rheology, Isostasy and Eustasy (ed. Morner, N. A.) 11–44 (Wiley, New York, 1980).

    Google Scholar 

  28. Clark, J. A., Farrell, W. E. & Peltier, W. R. Quat. Res. 9, 265–287 (1978).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Bloom, A. L. Bull. geol. Soc. Am. 78, 1477–1494 (1967).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Chappell, J. Quat. Res. 4, 405–428 (1974).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Shackleton, N. J. & Pisias, N. G. in Atmospheric CO2: Natural Variations, Archaean to Present (eds Sundquist, E. T. & Broecker, W. S.) 303–317, Am. geophys. Un. monogr. 32 (1985).

    Google Scholar 

  32. Imbrie, J. et al. in Milankovich and Climate (eds Berger, A. et al.) 269–305, (Reidel, Dordrecht 1984).

    Google Scholar 

  33. Hays, J. D., Imbrie, J. & Shackleton, N. J. Science 194, 1121–1132 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Dansgaard, W., Johnson, S. J., Moller, J. & Langway, C. C. Science 166, 377–381 (1969).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Picciotto, E., Cameron, R., Crozaz, G., Deutsch, S. & Wilgain, S. J. Glaciol. 7, 273–287 (1968).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  36. Mercer, J. H. Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 8, 19–27 (1970).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Broecker, W. S. Science 188, 1116 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Williams, D. F., Moore, W. S. & Fillon, R. H. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 56, 157–166 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Markussen, B., Zahn, R. & Thiede, J. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol., Palaeoecol. 50, 271–284 (1985).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Shackleton, N. J. & Opdyke, N. D. Quat. Res. 3, 39–55 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. O'Neil, J. R., Clayton, R. N. & Mayeda, T. K. J. chem. Phys. 51, 5547–5558 (1969).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Shackleton, N. J. Colloq. Int. cent. Nat. Res. Scient. 219 (1974).

  43. Newell, R. Quat. Res. 4, 117–126 (1974).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Mix, A. C. & Ruddiman, W. F. Quat. Res. 21, 1–20 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chappell, J., Shackleton, N. Oxygen isotopes and sea level. Nature 324, 137–140 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/324137a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/324137a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing