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…

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

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…