Paleotempestology of the Caribbean region: a multi-proxy, multi-site study of the spatial and temporal variability of Caribbean hurricane activity

This fact sheet describes a paleotempestology project (SGP-CRA 2050) led by Louisiana State University to analyze long-term hurricane activity variability in the pan-Caribbean region and the Pacific coast of Mexico using proxy data from sediments, stalagmites, tree-rings, and corals.

• A coral-based proxy record of Atlantic sea surface temperatures spanning AD 1552-1991 indicates that warmer sea surfaces coincided with higher hurricane activity before 1550 and after 1750, while cooler surfaces were associated with fewer Caribbean storms.
• Peaks in Atlantic hurricane activity during the Medieval period (AD 900-1100) and since 1980 are linked to La Niña-like conditions and warmer sea surface temperatures, following patterns such as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO).
• Proxy records from Belize and Nicaragua indicate an anti-phase relationship in hurricane landfall activity between the eastern Caribbean and U.S. East coast versus Central America. This suggests that steering patterns, influenced by the subtropical anticyclone and the inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ), affect coastal risks in the western Atlantic.
• The Intra-Americas Low-Level Jet (IALLJ) dominates air mass circulations in the Intra-Americas Sea and significantly impacts moisture advection and sea surface temperatures, which are critical for storm damage and hurricane strength.
• Based on 2006 demographic and geographical data, approximately 19 million people in the conterminous U.S. live in vulnerable areas within 1 km of the coastline, and 12 million people live in coastal areas with an elevation of three meters or less.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2013). Paleotempestology of the Caribbean region: a multi-proxy, multi-site study of the spatial and temporal variability of Caribbean hurricane activity. https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/uploads/2014/03/CRA_2050.pdf

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Paleotempestology of the Caribbean region: a multi-proxy, multi-site study of the spatial and temporal variability of Caribbean hurricane activity. 2013. https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/uploads/2014/03/CRA_2050.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=Paleotempestology of the Caribbean region: a multi-proxy, multi-site study of the spatial and temporal variability of Caribbean hurricane activity |date=May 2013 |url=https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/uploads/2014/03/CRA_2050.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch2013paleotempestology, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{Paleotempestology of the Caribbean region: a multi-proxy, multi-site study of the spatial and temporal variability of Caribbean hurricane activity}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2013}, month = may, url = {https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/uploads/2014/03/CRA_2050.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }