X-radiographs were assessed from the skeleton slices to expose density banding. Chronologies were achieved by counting the well-developed density couplets. BDA 210 revealed continuous growth between 1825 and 1993, whereas BDA 215 and BDA 221 contain hiatuses. The bases of the colonies, which were separated from the upper living parts by algal growth, were 14C dated by AMS in the Leibnitz Laboratory in Kiel. Precision of Dating came to  30 years. The stratigraphy obtained from 14C dating was confirmed by the strong correspondence of the present proxy time series with a continuous 800-year coral skeletal chronology from Bermuda, presented by Patzold et al. (1998; see Fig. 3c).

chronological and radiocarbon dating 30 years

Finnigan MAT 251 micro-mass spectrometer with an automatic carbonate preparation device (Kiel Device).

; climateInterpretation_seasonality changed - was originally -12 -11 -10 -9 -8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7; archiveType changed - was originally Coral (CO)

d18O (3 yr mean) calibration to SST (3 yr mean). SST is inferred from air temperature

The availability of instrumental climate data allow the comparison with the coral signal and supports the interpretation of reconstructed past temperature anomalies. The use of air temperatures is justified by the strong long-term correspondence between Bermuda SST (COADS) of a 2 latitude by 2 longitude area and Bermuda air temperature during a 40-year period.

X-radiographs were assessed from the skeleton slices to expose density banding. Chronologies were achieved by counting the well-developed density couplets. BDA 210 revealed continuous growth between 1825 and 1993, whereas BDA 215 and BDA 221 contain hiatuses. The bases of the colonies, which were separated from the upper living parts by algal growth, were 14C dated by AMS in the Leibnitz Laboratory in Kiel. Precision of Dating came to  30 years. The stratigraphy obtained from 14C dating was confirmed by the strong correspondence of the present proxy time series with a continuous 800-year coral skeletal chronology from Bermuda, presented by P�tzold et al. (1998; see Fig. 3c).