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.

  • Article
  • Published:

Molecular stratigraphy: a new tool for climatic assessment

Nature volume 320, pages 129–133 (1986)Cite this article

Abstract

Variations in sea-surface temperatures over the past 500,000 years are inferred from the relative abundance behaviour of two organic compounds, C37 alkenones over the upper 8 metres of a sediment core from the eastern equatorial Atlantic. This molecular record, ascribed to contributions from prymnesiophyte algae, correlates well with the variations in the δ18 signal for the calcareous skeletons of certain planktonic foraminifera, thus providing the first demonstration of a new stratigraphical technique, which may be especially valuable where methods based on carbonate δ18 fail.

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

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hay, W. W. & Mohler, H. P. Trans. Gulf-Coast Ass. geol. Soc. (eds Hay, W. W. et al.) 17, 426–480 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Volkman, J. K., Eglinton, G., Corner, E. D. S. & Sargent, J. R. in Advances in Organic Geochemistry 1979 (eds Douglas, A. G. & Maxwell, J. R.) 219–227 (Pergamon, Oxford, 30. 1980).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Volkman, J.K., Eglinton, G., Corner, E. D. S. & Forsberg, T. E. V. Phytochemistry 19, 2619–2622 (1980).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Marlowe, I. T. et al. Br. phycol. J. 19, 203–216 (1984).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Marlowe, I. T., Green, J. C., Brassell, S. C., Eglinton, G. & Course, P.A. Phytochemistry (submitted).

  6. Marlowe, I. T., Brassell, S. C., Eglinton, G. & Green, J. C. Org. Geochem. 6, 135–141 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. de Leeuw, J. W., van der Meer, F. W. & Rijpstra, W. I. C. in Advances in Organic Geochemistry 1979 (eds Douglas, A. G. & Maxwell, J. R.) 211–217 (Pergamon, Oxford, 1980).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Volkman, J. K., Corner, E. D. S. & Eglinton, G. in Colloq. int. CNRS no. 293 (ed. Daumas, R.) 185–197 (Editions CNRS, Paris, 1980).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Brassell, S. C., Eglinton, G. & Maxwell, J. R. Init. Rep. DSDP 66, 557–580 (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Brassell, S.C. & Eglinton, G. in Heterotrophic Activity in the Sea (eds Hobbie, J. E. & 39. Williams, P. J. leB.) 481–503 (Plenum, New York, 1984).

    Book  Google Scholar 

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

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Duplessy, J. C. in Climatic Change (ed. Gribbin, J.) 46–67 (Cambridge University Press, 1978).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Mackenzie, A. S., Brassell, S. C., Eglinton, G. & Maxwell, J. R. Science 217, 491–504 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Brassell, S.C., Eglinton, G. & Maxwell, J. R. Biochem. Soc. Trans. 11, 575–586 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Brassell, S. C. & Eglinton, G. in Advances in Organic Geochemistry 1981 (eds Bjoroy, M. et al.) 684–697 (Wiley, New York, 1983).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Boon, J. J., de Leeuw, J. W. & Schenck, P. A. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 39, 1559–1565 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Brassell, S. C. & Eglinton, G. in Coastal Upwelling: Its Sediment Record (eds Suess, E. & Thiede, J.) 545–571 (Plenum, New York, 1983).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  18. Gagosian, R. B., Nigrelli, G. E. & Volkman, J. K. in Coastal Upwelling: Its Sediment Record (eds Suess, E. & Thiede, J.) 241–272 (Plenum, New York, 1983).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  19. Boon, J. J. et al. Nature 277, 125–127 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Robinson, N., Eglinton, G., Brassell, S. C. & Cranwell, P. A. Nature 308, 439–441 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Brassell, S. C., Wardroper, A. M. K., Thomson, I. D., Maxwell, J. R. & Eglinton, G. Nature 290, 693–696 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Simoneit, B. R. T. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 41, 463–476 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Harwood, J. R. & Russell, N. J. Lipids in Plants and Microbes (George Alien & Unwin, London, 1984).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  24. Holton, R. W., Blecker, H. H. & Onore, M. Phytochemistry 3, 595–602 (1964).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Russell, N. J. & Volkman, J. K. J. gen. Microbiol. 118, 131–141 (1980).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Rowland, S. J. & Volkman, J. K. Mar. envir. Res. 7, 117–130 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Boon, J. J., van der Meer, F. W., Schuyl, P. J. W., de Leeuw, J. W. & Schenck, P. A. Init. Rep. DSDP 40, 627–637 (1978).

    Google Scholar 

  28. Farrimond, P., Eglinton, G. & Brassell, S. C. in Advances in Organic Geochemistry 1985 (eds Leythaeuser, D. & Rullkötter, J.) (Pergamon, Oxford, in the press).

  29. Sarnthein, M., Kögler, F. C. & Werner, F. Geolog. Paläontolog. Inst. Univ. Kiel Ber. No. 2 (1983).

  30. Sarnthein, M., Erlenkeuser, H., von Grafenstein, R. & Schröder, C. ‘Meteor’ Forsch-Ergebn. C38, 9–24 (1984).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Ganssen, G. ‘Meteor’ Forsch.-Ergebn. C37, 1–46 (1983).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Shackleton, N. J. & Opdyke, N. D. Mem. geol. Soc. Am. 145, 449–464 (1976).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Specmap 1984 in Milankovitch and Climate (eds Berger, A. & Imbrie, J.) (Reidel, New York, 1984).

    Google Scholar 

  34. McIntyre, A., Bé, A. W. H. & Roche, M. B. Trans. N. Y. Acad. Sci. Ser. II 32, 720–731 (1970).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Raymont, J. E. G. Plankton and Productivity in the Oceans (Pergamon, Oxford, 1980).

    Google Scholar 

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

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Milankovitch, M. K. Serb. Akad. Beogr. Spec. Publ. 132 (1941). (Transl. by Israel Prog. for Scientific Translations, Jerusalem, 1969).

  38. Herterich, K. & Sarnthein, M. in Milankovitch and Climate (eds Berger, A. L. & Imbrie, J.) 447–466 (Reidel, New York, 1984).

    Google Scholar 

  39. Marlowe, I. T., Brassell, S. C., Eglinton, G. & Green, J. C. Oceanologica Acta(submitted).

  40. Samtleben, C. Paläont. Z. 54, 91–127 (1980).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Thierstein, H.R., Geitzenauer, K. R., Molfino, B. & Shackleton, N. J. Geology 5, 400–404 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. McIntyre, A. & Bé, A. W. H. Deep-Sea Res. 14, 561–597 (1967).

    Google Scholar 

  43. Wakeham, S. G., Farrington, J. W. & Gagosian, R. B. Org. Geochem. 6, 203–215 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Volkman, J. K., Farrington, J. W., Gagosian, R. B. & Wakeham, S. G. in Advances in Organic Geochemistry 1981 (eds Bjorøy, M. et al.) 228–240 (Wiley, New York, 1983).

    Google Scholar 

  45. Gardner, J. V. & Hays, J. D. Mem. geol. Soc. Am. 145, 211–246 (1976).

    Google Scholar 

  46. Sarnthein, M. et al. in Geology of the Northwest African Continental Margin (eds von Rad, U., Hinz, K., Sarnthein, M. & Seibold, E.) 545–604 (Springer, Berlin, 1982).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  47. Brassell, S. C. et al. Init. Rep. DSDP 56/57, 1367–1390 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  48. Brassell, S. C. et al. in Advances in Organic Geochemistry 1979 (eds Douglas, A. G. & Maxwell, J. R.) 375–392 (Pergamon, Oxford, 1980).

    Google Scholar 

  49. Cranwell, P. A. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 49, 1545–1551 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Brassell, S. C. et al. in Advances in Organic Geochemistry 1985 (eds Leythaeuser, D. & Rullkötter, J.) (Pergamon, Oxford, in the press).

  51. Didyk, B. M., Simoneit, B. R. T., Brassell, S. C. & Eglinton, G. Nature 272, 216–222 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Smith, D. J., Eglinton, G. & Morris, R. J. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. (in the press).

  53. Comet, P. A. thesis, Univ. Bristol (1982).

  54. McEvoy, J. thesis, Univ. Bristol (1983).

  55. Smith, D. J., Eglinton, G. & Morris, R. J. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 47, 2225–2232 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. Volkman, J. K., Gillan, F. T., Johns, R. B. & Eglinton, G. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 45, 1817–1828 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Organic Geochemistry Unit, University of Bristol, School of Chemistry, Cantock's Close, Bristol, BS8 1TS, UK

    S. C. Brassell, G. Eglinton & I. T. Marlowe

  2. Geologisch-Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, Universität Kiel, Olshausenstrasse 40/60, D-2300, Kiel, FRG

    U. Pflaumann & M. Sarnthein

Authors
  1. S. C. Brassell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. G. Eglinton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. I. T. Marlowe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. U. Pflaumann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. M. Sarnthein
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Brassell, S., Eglinton, G., Marlowe, I. et al. Molecular stratigraphy: a new tool for climatic assessment. Nature 320, 129–133 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/320129a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/320129a0

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

Advanced 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