Temperature Dependence of Carbon Isotope Composition in Marine Plankton and Sediments

Abstract

Samples of marine plankton collected in high-latitude areas of the South Atlantic where surface water temperatures are near 0 degrees C show a carbon-12 enrichment of 6 per mill relative to samples collected where temperatures are about 25 degrees C. The organic carbon in sediments in the Drake Passage and Argentine Basin also shows a carbon-12 enrichment relative to warmer areas.