Problems and prospects of stable isotope applications to marine microfossils for palaeoceanography and palaeoclimate reconstruction

Abstract

Stable isotopes of oxygen and carbon in marine microfossils (such as Foraminifera) have been extensively applied to reconstruct past oceanographic and climatologic conditions. But great care needs to be taken while interpreting the data, as there are many factors governing the isotopic composition of the shells of microfossils. This paper is an attempt to outline and elucidate these factors with special reference to the most widely used microfossil, viz. Foraminifera.