The newest technology that used deep sea sediments to detect

The newest technology that used deep sea sediments to detect past changes in water temperatures analyzes

a. Microtektites

b. Oxygen isotopes

c. The ratio of carbon to manganese in microfossils

d. All of the above

Solution

Answer is C: The new technique works by analysing variations in the ratio of magnesium to calcium contained in the fossilised shells of tiny microorganisms called foraminifera trapped in successive layers of sediment on the seabed. As the foraminifera were growing, they absorbed calcium and magnesium in proportions that depended on the temperature of the water around them.