Paleotempestology of the Caribbean region: a multi-proxy, multi-site study of the spatial and temporal variability of Caribbean hurricane activity (CRN2050)

This fact sheet describes project CRN2050, a paleotempestology study using proxy data—such as coral, stalagmites, and lagoon sediments—to analyze the spatial and temporal variability of hurricane activity in the pan-Caribbean region.

• A coral-based proxy record of Atlantic sea surface temperatures from AD 1552 to 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.
• Caribbean hurricane activity is influenced by climate patterns including the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). Peaks in activity occurred during the Medieval period (AD 900-1100) and since 1980, driven by La Niña-like conditions and warmer sea surface temperatures.
• The Low-Level Jet (IALLJ) dominates air mass circulations in the Intra-Americas Sea and significantly impacts moisture advection and sea surface temperatures, which are key factors in storm damage and hurricane strength.
• Based on 2006 demographic and geographical data, 12 million people in the conterminous U.S. live within a three-meter elevation along the coast, and approximately 19 million live in vulnerable areas less than 1 km from the coastline.

APA

Liu, K.-B., Lam, N., Frappier, A., Mora, C., Donnelly, J., III, T. W., Cohen, A., Bentley, S., Peros, M., Desloges, J., Sanchez-Sesma, J., Amador, J., & Alfaro, E. (2010). Paleotempestology of the Caribbean region: a multi-proxy, multi-site study of the spatial and temporal variability of Caribbean hurricane activity (CRN2050). Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/uploads/2014/03/CRN2_50.pdf

Chicago

Liu, Kam-biu, Nina Lam, Amy Frappier, Claudia Mora, Jeff Donnelly, Tom Webb III, Anne Cohen, et al. Paleotempestology of the Caribbean region: a multi-proxy, multi-site study of the spatial and temporal variability of Caribbean hurricane activity (CRN2050). Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, 2010. https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/uploads/2014/03/CRN2_50.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Liu |first1=Kam-biu |last2=Lam |first2=Nina |last3=Frappier |first3=Amy |last4=Mora |first4=Claudia |last5=Donnelly |first5=Jeff |last6=III |first6=Tom Webb |last7=Cohen |first7=Anne |last8=Bentley |first8=Sam |last9=Peros |first9=Matthew |display-authors=etal |title=Paleotempestology of the Caribbean region: a multi-proxy, multi-site study of the spatial and temporal variability of Caribbean hurricane activity (CRN2050) |publisher=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |date=April 2010 |url=https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/uploads/2014/03/CRN2_50.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{liu2010paleotempestology, author = {Liu, Kam-biu and Lam, Nina and Frappier, Amy and Mora, Claudia and Donnelly, Jeff and III, Tom Webb and Cohen, Anne and Bentley, Sam and Peros, Matthew and Desloges, Joe and Sanchez-Sesma, Jorge and Amador, Jorge and Alfaro, Eric}, title = {{Paleotempestology of the Caribbean region: a multi-proxy, multi-site study of the spatial and temporal variability of Caribbean hurricane activity (CRN2050)}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2010}, month = apr, url = {https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/uploads/2014/03/CRN2_50.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }