Equatorial Undercurrent Influence on Surface Seawater δ18O Values in the Galápagos

Abstract

AbstractStable isotopes of oxygen (δ18O) in seawater reflect the combined influences of ocean circulation and atmospheric moisture balance. However, it is difficult to disentangle disparate ocean and atmosphere influences on modern seawater δ18O values, partly because continuous time series of seawater δ18O are rare. Here we present a nearly nine‐year, continuous record of seawater δ18O values from the Galápagos. Seawater δ18O values faithfully track sea surface salinity and salinity along the equator at 50 m depth. Zonal current velocity within the Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC), directly west of the Galápagos, is strongly correlated with Galápagos surface seawater δ18O values with a 1‐month lag. Reconstructions of Galápagos seawater δ18O values could thus provide a window into past variations in the strength of the EUC, an important influence on large‐scale tropical Pacific climate.