Abstract
Paired strontium-to-calcium (Sr/Ca) and δ18O measurements for two Porites lutea corals recovered from Hon Tre Island, Vietnam, are strongly correlated to sea surface temperature (SST) and precipitation at monthly to interannual time-scales. Least squares linear regression of monthly Sr/Ca to SST shows a strong, significant correlation (r2 = 0.77, p < .0001),="" with="" root="" mean="" square="" residuals="" of="" 0.9="" °c.="" 3-year="" averaged="" (binned)="" sr/ca="" for="" wet="" (sep–nov)="" and="" dry="" (jan–mar)="" seasons="" separately="" captures="" sst="" variability="" at="" interannual="" time="" scales="" (sr/ca="" rmsr="0.42" °c="" and="" 0.70="" °c="" for="" wet="" and="" dry="" seasons,="" respectively).="" coral="" δ18o="" correlates="" weakly="" to="" sst="" at="" seasonal="" and="" interannual="" time="" scales="" for="" wet="" and="" dry="" seasons,="" with="" significant="" anomalies="" (δ18o="" rmsr="2.4" °c="" and="" 1.65="" °c,="" respectively).="" correcting="" the="" sst="" influence="" on="" coral="" δ18o="" using="" paired="" sr/ca="" values="" provides="" estimates="" of="" δ18o="" of="" seawater="" (δ18osw).="" 3-year="" averaged="" δ18osw="" during="" the="" wet="" season="" shows="" a="" significant="" correlation="" to="" local="" precipitation="" (r2="0.54," p="0.01)." these="" results="" show="" that="" coral="" sr/ca="" in="" this="" location="" accurately="" reflects="" sst="" at="" a="" number="" of="" timescales,="" and="" that="" seawater="" δ18o="" composition="" in="" the="" wet="" season="" is="" controlled="" by="" local="" precipitation,="" largely="" unmodified="" by="" ocean="" circulation="" during="" the="" winter="" monsoon.="" this="" study="" highlights="" the="" sensitivity="" and="" utility="" of="" coral="" geochemistry="" in="" this="" region="" for="" reliably="" reconstructing="" sst="" and="" monsoonal="">