Persistent link between Caribbean precipitation and Atlantic Ocean circulation during the Last Glacial revealed by a speleothem record from Puerto Rico

The sensitivity of tropical Atlantic precipitation patterns to the mean position of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) at different time scales is well‐known. However, recent research suggests a more complex behavior of the northern hemispheric tropical rain belt related to the ITCZ in the western tropical Atlantic. Here we present a precisely dated speleothem multi‐proxy record from a well‐monitored cave in Puerto Rico, covering the period between 46.2 and 15.3 ka. The stable isotope and trace element records document a pronounced response of regional rainfall to abrupt climatic excursions in the North Atlantic across the Last Glacial such as Heinrich stadials and Dansgaard/Oeschger…

Caribbean hydroclimate and vegetation history across the last glacial period

Abstract We present a new speleothem trace element and stable isotope record, which extends previous paleoclimate evidence from Cuban speleothems to the last 96 ka. Multiple proxies were used to reconstruct Caribbean hydroclimate and vegetation variability on orbital to millennial timescales. In particular, our proxies indicate a shift to more abundant C4 (compared to C3) vegetation and/or reduced soil activity during the Last Glacial Maximum. Our results confirm the close link of Caribbean precipitation to North Atlantic climate variability, insolation and the strength of the AMOC. The associated variations in Caribbean SSTs and the shift of the ITCZ led to substantial changes of the hydro…

Monitoring of Cueva Larga, Puerto Rico—A First Step to Decode Speleothem Climate Records

This study presents results of an ongoing cave monitoring program at Cueva Larga, Puerto Rico. The monitoring includes monthly analyses of stable isotope ratios of rain and drip water, and trace element ratios of drip water and cave air parameters. Drip sites are above growing speleothems offering the unique chance to calibrate geochemical variations in speleothems in order to reconstruct past climate conditions. Seasonal rainfall patterns above Cueva Larga show characteristic stable isotope values. The wet season is characterized by more negative δ18O and δD values and a maritime deuterium excess (+10‰). The dry season has more positive δ18O and δD values and elevated deuterium excess (>15…

Hurricane Impact on Seepage Water in Larga Cave, Puerto Rico

Reconstruction of late Holocene autumn/winter precipitation variability in SW Romania from a high-resolution speleothem trace element record

We present the first high-resolution trace element (Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca, Ba/Ca) record from a stalagmite in southwestern Romania covering the last 3.6 ka, which provides the potential for quantitative climate reconstruction. Precise age control is based on three independent dating methods, in particular for the last 250 yr, where chemical lamina counting is combined with the identification of the 20th century radiocarbon bomb peak and Th-230/U dating. Long-term cave monitoring and model simulations of drip water and speleothem elemental variability indicate that precipitation-related processes are the main drivers of speleothem Mg/Ca ratios. Calibration against instrumental climate data shows a si…

Last glacial millennial-scale hydro-climate and temperature changes in Puerto Rico constrained by speleothem fluid inclusion δ<sup>18</sup>O and δ<sup>2</sup>H values

Abstract. We present speleothem fluid inclusion δ18Of and δ2Hf values from Larga Cave, Puerto Rico, that covers the interval between 46.2 to 15.3 ka before present on millennial scale, including the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and several stadial and interstadial cycles. The dataset can be divided in two main clusters of stable isotope compositions of the fluid inclusion water with respect to the global meteoric water line which coincide with strong variations in the water content of the stalagmite. In particular, this clustering is found to be climate related, where the first cluster comprises samples from cold and dry periods, such as Heinrich and Greenland stadials, as well as parts of th…