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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 57(6)

Constructing long-term proxy series for aquatic environments with absolute dating control using a sclerochronological approach: introduction and advanced applications

Samuli Helama A D E , Bernd R. Schöne A , Bryan A. Black B and Elena Dunca C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Institute for Geology and Palaeontology, INCREMENTS Research Group, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

B Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, Newport, OR 97365, USA.

C Swedish Museum of Natural History Stockholm, Dept. of Paleozoology, Box 50007, 10405 Stockholm, Sweden.

D Present address: Department of Geology, PO Box 64, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.

E Corresponding author. Email: samuli.helama@helsinki.fi

Marine and Freshwater Research 57(6) 591-599 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF05176
Submitted: 10 September 2005  Accepted: 9 June 2006   Published: 15 August 2006

Abstract

The possibility of applying absolute dating techniques to annual growth increments from the hard parts of aquatic animals was examined. This was done using the theory of cross-dating, which was adopted from dendrochronological principles. Using two mollusc species as examples, the practical issues of the method were demonstrated. Empirical data were used to evaluate the different time series analysis techniques as follows. Biological growth trends were first captured from original time series using cubic splines. Dimensionless growth indices were obtained by extracting the observed growth values from the values of spline curves as ratios. The common growth signal among the index series was quantified visually and statistically. In statistical analysis, correlations between all possible pairs of indexed sample series and, alternatively, between sample series and master chronology (the average of all other remaining time series) were calculated. It was demonstrated that sample–master correlations were consistently higher than sample–sample correlations. Sclerochronologically cross-dated time series were proved to provide absolute dating of high-resolution proxy records that assessed environmental change in marine and freshwater settings. The wider applicability of the associated techniques is discussed, and it is suggested that use of the term ‘sclerochronology’ be restricted to refer only to material or studies for which careful cross-dating has been successfully applied.

Extra keywords: Arctica islandica, dendrochronology, Margaritifera margaritifera, proxy records, sclerochronology.


Acknowledgments

This study was made possible by a German Research Foundation (DFG) grant (to B. R. Shöne) within the framework of the Emmy Noether Program (SCHO 793/1), along with financial support from the National Swedish Environmental Protection Board, the Carl Trygger Foundation, the Wallenberg Foundation and Swedish Research Council. The work of S. Helama was also supported by a postdoctoral scholarship from the Foundation of Koneen Säätiö. We are very grateful to the following people for their assistance in collecting Margaritifera margaritifera shell material: Lisa Lundstedt (Länsstyrelsen, Norrbotten), Lars Collvin (Länsstyrelsen, Kristianstad), Sven-Erik Magnusson and Leif Jonsson (Vatten Musèet). Comments on earlier version of the manuscript by two anonymous reviewers improved the final presentation.


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