A foraminiferal δ18O record covering the last 2,200 years

Thanks to the precise core dating and the high sedimentation rate of the drilling site (Gallipoli Terrace, Ionian Sea) we were able to measure a foraminiferal δ 18 O series covering the last 2,200 years with a time resolution shorter than 4 years. In order to support the quality of this data-set we link the δ 18 O values measured in the foraminifera shells to temperature and salinity measurements available for the last thirty years covered by the core. Moreover, we describe in detail the dating procedures based on the presence of volcanic markers along the core and on the measurement of 210 Pb and 137 Cs activity in the most recent sediment layers. The high time resolution allows for detecting a δ 18 O decennial-scale oscillation, together with centennial and multicentennial components. Due to the dependence of foraminiferal δ 18 O on environmental conditions, these oscillations can provide information about temperature and salinity variations in past millennia. The strategic location of the drilling area makes this record a unique tool for climate and oceanographic studies of the Central Mediterranean. Design Type(s) time sampled measurement data set • observation design Measurement Type(s) oxygen-18 atom Technology Type(s) isotope ratio mass spectrometer Factor Type(s) Sample Characteristic(s) Globigerinoides ruber • Gulf of Taranto • marine sediment Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data (ISA-Tab format)