TEX86 · ORGANIC PROXY · ARCHAEAL MEMBRANE LIPIDS (GDGTs)

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Archive

Archaeal GDGT lipids in marine sediments

Records

Surface and subsurface temperatures

Watch out for

Depth of GDGT production, regional differences, choice of calibration

How it works

TEX86 reconstructs past temperatures using membrane lipids (GDGTs) produced by marine archaea, whose composition changes with environmental temperature. Because these compounds are typically produced below the surface mixed layer, TEX86 often reflects shallow subsurface temperatures that closely track sea‑surface variability.

MioOcean applies multiple modern calibrations, including Bayesian and machine‑learning approaches, and reports both surface and subsurface temperature estimates to account for regional and depth‑related differences in GDGT production.

Explore the data

Use the interactive dashboard below to map and plot the MioOcean TEX86 records, filtering by location, time interval and calibration.

Using these data? Please cite the MioOcean database paper and the MioTEX companion paper, along with the original data sources listed in the database.