Scientists have improved our ability to interpret one of the most common measures of the temperature of Earth's oceans in the distant past.
The measurement is based on the ancient remains of tiny marine organisms called foraminifera, a type of plankton that lives and feeds in water.
Scientists have improved our ability to interpret one of the most common measures of the temperature of Earth's oceans in the distant past.
The measurement is based on the ancient remains of tiny marine organisms called foraminifera, a type of plankton that lives and feeds in water.
The organisms use calcium and magnesium from seawater to help form their shells — more magnesium when ocean temperatures are warmer and less when the temperatures are cooler. But magnesium levels can vary significantly within individual shells, and scientists have been exploring why.
Read more at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Image: Foraminifera – a key to understanding ancient Earth. (Credit: Jennifer Fehrenbacher/Oregon State University)
