Controls on Sr/Ca in benthic foraminifera and implications for seawater Sr/Ca during the late Pleistocene

•Paired benthic Sr/Ca and B/Ca for global core-tops.•Paired benthic Sr/Ca and B/Ca for 3 down cores.•Deep water Δ[CO32−] affects benthic foraminiferal Sr/Ca.•Little change in seawater Sr/Ca during the late Pleistocene.

Changes in the Sr to Ca ratio of sea water have important implications for the interpretation of past climate. It has proven difficult to interpret Sr/Ca of foraminiferal calcite as a measure of seawater Sr/Ca or as reflecting the influence of deep water carbonate ion saturation (Δ[CO32−]) on the incorporation of Sr into benthic foraminiferal carbonate. Here, we address this issue by measurements of paired benthic foraminiferal Sr/Ca and B/Ca (a proxy for deep water Δ[CO32−]) for core-tops from the global ocean and three down cores at different settings during the Last Glacial–interglacial cycle. These new data suggest a significant control of deep water Δ[CO32−] on benthic foraminiferal Sr/Ca, and that down-core shell Sr/Ca variations can be largely accounted for by past deep water Δ[CO32−] changes. We conclude that seawater Sr/Ca has likely remained near-constant on glacial–interglacial timescales during the late Pleistocene, in agreement with model results. With due caution, benthic Sr/Ca may be used as an auxiliary proxy for deep water Δ[CO32−] if seawater Sr/Ca is constant.