# 300 years of sclerosponge thermometry shows global warming has exceeded 1.5 °C

*PRI Rank #4 · Topics and Trends in Most Cited Geology and Paleoclimatology Research Papers, Class of 2026*

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/geology-and-paleoclimatology-research/2026/rank-4*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #4 |
| 18m citations | 91 |
| Journal | Nature Climate Change |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1038/s41558-023-01919-7 |
| Corresponding authors | Malcolm T. McCulloch |
| Institution | The University of Western Australia, Australia |

**Ranking page:** [Topics and Trends in Most Cited Geology and Paleoclimatology Research Papers, Class of 2026](https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/geology-and-paleoclimatology-research/2026)

**Paper link:** [10.1038/s41558-023-01919-7](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01919-7)

## Topics

sclerosponge carbonate skeletons · Sr/Ca palaeothermometer · ocean mixed-layer temperature · Pre-industrial baseline · Industrial-era warming onset · Industrial-era warming onset · 300-year temperature reconstruction · Sea Surface Temperature · land-air temperature divergence · 1.7°C warming by 2020 · IPCC temperature estimates · 2°C warming projection · carbonate-based proxy records · instrumental temperature calibration · late 2020s climate threshold

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Geology and Paleoclimatology Research Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/geology-and-paleoclimatology-research/2026. Accessed 2026-07-31.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```