Use of diatoms in biostratigraphy, coastal and estuarine
studies, paleoceanology, paleoliminology, earthquake studies,
environmental quality and forensic studies. Includes listing of
USGS diatom projects and links to other diatom websites. Direct
measurement of an important indicator of interannual variability
is extended, using geological proxy measures, farther back in
time to well before modern measurements were made. This tells us
about the history of climate variability. Proxy methods allow us
to estimate ancient ocean temperatures but only if the method is
calibrated using modern samples for which we measure the
temperature. This is a proxy method using a sediment trap to
collect planktonic foraminifera. Information on mollusks and
uses of the identification of fossil mollusks in the fields of
biostratigraphy, geochronology, paleocoeanography, paleoecology
and ecosystems history. Links to experts and related USGS
projects.