Multi-trace-element sea surface temperature coral reconstruction for the southern Mozambique Channel reveals teleconnections with the tropical Atlantic

A coral-based sea surface temperature (SST) reconstruction for the southern Mozambique Channel reveals significant warming trends and teleconnections with distant ocean regions. Using Sr/Ca ratios from Porites sp. corals, researchers documented a 0.58°C warming trend from 1970 to 2013, aligning closely with instrumental data. While Li/Mg proxies showed unrealistic warming due to calibration uncertainties, combined Sr/Ca and Li/Mg records correlated strongly with local climate variability in the Mozambique Channel and distant regions like the tropical Atlantic, where surface wind patterns dominated SST variability. The study identifies the Pacific–North American (PNA) atmospheric pattern and tropical North Atlantic SST as key drivers of these teleconnections, offering insights into large-scale climate dynamics.

Zinke, J., D’Olivo, J. P., Gey, C. J., McCulloch, M. T., Bruggemann, J. H., Lough, J. M., & Guillaume, M. M. M. (2019). Multi-trace-element sea surface temperature coral reconstruction for the southern Mozambique Channel reveals teleconnections with the tropical Atlantic. Biogeosciences, 16(3), 695–712. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-695-2019