Title: Protactinium‐thorium ratio as a proxy for ocean circulation
Abstract:The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) transports water and heat over long distances in the Atlantic Ocean and is believed to have an important effect on Earth's climate. Knowing how s...The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) transports water and heat over long distances in the Atlantic Ocean and is believed to have an important effect on Earth's climate. Knowing how strong the AMOC was in the past is essential to understanding past climate. One proxy researchers have used to assess the past strength of the AMOC is the sedimentary protactinium‐ thorium ratio ( 231 Pa/ 230 Th). Both 231 Pa and 230 Th are produced through decay of uranium at a constant rate in the ocean water column, but 230 Th does not last long enough in the water to be transported away from the location where it was produced, while 231 Pa has a longer residence time in the water. Therefore, sedimentary 231 Pa/ 230 Th ratios could provide information about the strength of past ocean circulation.Read More
Publication Year: 2011
Publication Date: 2011-12-19
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 1
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