MARGO achievements

As compared to CLIMAP:

Better geographic coverage

  • 696 individual reconstructions of sea-surface temperature help to fill in gaps
  • Especially in northern North Atlantic Ocean and tropical oceans, less in subtropical areas of the Pacific
Better temporal definition
  • 19,000 to 23,000 years BP (after EPILOG)
  • CLIMAP: 16,000 to 26,000 years BP
Combines results of six proxies
  • Four based on microfossil species composition (planktonic foraminifera, diatoms, dinoflagellates and radiolaria)
  • Two geochemical (alkenones with 37 C atoms produced by unicellular algae/coccolithophores – in slightly different composition in relation to changes in temperature, magnesium and calcium found planktic foraminiferal shells)
  • More statistically robust