Minor element composition and stable oxygen isotopes of calcareous shells of the dinoflagellate Thoracosphaera heimii

Abstract

Recently, calcareous cyst producing dinoflagellates, and especially the species Thoracosphaera heimii, have gained more interest in paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic studies. This PhD thesis focuses on the stable oxygen isotope composition (d18O) and minor element to calcium ratios (Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca) of T. heimii shells from surface sediments in different oceanographic regions. An attempt was made to link d18O, Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca of T. heimii shells with environmental parameters of the upper water column, especially temperature and the carbonate chemistry of the seawater.