Validating Annual Growth Bands of Deep-Sea Black Corals and Calculating Ocean Reservoir Ages in the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract:

Deep–sea black corals (Leiopathes sp.) are long-lived (up to 4,000 yrs old), and grow in a tree-like fashion depositing growth rings in their skeleton. Scanning electron microscopy at 900x magnification was used to image thin sections and identify peaks in iodine intensity using energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy in three specimens from the Gulf of Mexico. Age determination by counting visual growth bands and iodine peaks were compared to both radiocarbon and U/Th-derived ages. The first specimen (GOM-JSL04-4734-BC1) has an iodine peak count age of 695 ±70, and growth band age of 785 ± 80 which compare quite well to the radiocarbon age of 670 ±40 years and a U/Th age of 780 ±16 years. There was similar agreement between the radiocarbon ages (1399 ±30 and 670 ±35 years) and the iodine peak count ages (1240 ±125 and 715±70 years) for the remaining two specimens with growth rates ranging from 11 ±3 to 16 ±2 µm yr^-1 for all 3 specimens. Using the independent (iodine derived) age models in conjunction with the radiocarbon data, a high resolution ocean reservoir age record was developed for the last 600 years. Reservoir ages varied from 120 to 550 ¹⁴C years on decadal to centennial time scales. The modern reservoir age in the GOM is 235 ±11 ¹⁴C years. The preferred explanation for the variability found in these reservoir ages is related to changes in the strength of the Yucatan Current. This novel approach combines the identification of growth bands captured in high-resolution SEM in combination with synchronous peaks in skeleton iodine composition and is the first to validate that both can be used as annual chronometers. Using the independent iodine age models in conjunction with the radiocarbon records, ocean reservoir age records can be developed for the last ~500 to 1000 years.