1999 年 33 巻 1 号 p. 23-44
We describe recent progress in palaeo-environmental studies using coral skeletal records. Coral skeletons are excellent archives for considerable and diverse environmental information from tropical oceans. A high precision micro-sampling technique has allowed us to reconstruct high-resolution proxy climate records using the annual density bands of massive corals such as Porites spp. The combination of high-precision oxygen stable isotope analysis and Sr/Ca thermometry is one of the most promising methods for the reconstruction of palaeo-seawater temperature and water budgets including rainfall, evaporation and deep water upwelling. Coral proxy records will contribute to the understanding of the nature of past climate changes, including El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Asian monsoon. We also introduce coral records spanning more than 100 years, which provided a unique insight into the low-frequency features of ENSO related phenomena in the tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans.
