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Abstract:
A growing body of observations reveals rapid changes in both the total inventory and distribution of marine oxygen over the later half of the 21st century, leading to increased interest in extending oxygenation records into the past. Use of paleo-oxygen proxies have the potential to extend the spatial and temporal range of current records, bound pre-anthropogenic baselines, provide datasets necessary to test climate models under different boundary conditions, and ultimately understand how ocean oxygenation responds beyond decadal scale changes. This review seeks to summarize the current state-of-knowledge about proxies for reconstructing Cenozoic marine oxygen: sedimentary features, sedimentary redox-sensitive trace elements and isotopes, biomarkers, nitrogen isotopes, foraminiferal trace elements, foraminifera assemblages, foraminifera morphometrics, and benthic foraminifera carbon isotope gradients. Taking stock of each proxy reveals some common limitations in that the majority of proxies function best at low-oxygen concentrations and many reflect multiple environmental drivers. We also highlight recent breakthroughs in geochemistry and proxy approaches for constraining pelagic (in addition to benthic) oxygenation that are rapidly advancing the field. In light of both the emergence of new proxies and the persistent multiple driver problem, the need for multi-proxy approaches and FAIR data storage and sharing is emphasized. Continued refinement of proxy approaches and both proxy-proxy and proxy-model comparisons are likely to support the growing needs of both oceanographer and paleoceanographers interested in paleo-oxygenation records.
