Scientists have extracted a 30-meter sediment core from the “Great Blue Hole” in Belize, which contains nearly 20,000 years of accumulated sediment. The core provides unprecedented insights into storm frequency and climate change in the southwestern Caribbean over the past six millennia.
Researchers led by Professor Eberhard Gischler found that the frequency of tropical storms and hurricanes in the region has steadily increased over time, with an average of four to sixteen storms per century. However, the nine storm layers from the past 20 years indicate a significant increase in extreme weather events.
The team attributed the rising storm activity to climate change, including rising ocean temperatures and stronger global La Niña events, which create optimal conditions for frequent storm formation and intensification. The core also revealed that sea level rise over the past 12,000 years has allowed complete inundation of former islands and increased lateral transport of debris.
The research team identified a total of 574 storm events over the past 5,700 years, offering new insights into climate fluctuations and hurricane cycles in the Caribbean. The findings have significant implications for regions such as South Florida, where $2 trillion worth of real estate is at risk from increasingly frequent and intense hurricanes.
According to Dr. Dominik Schmitt, lead author of the study, “Our results suggest that some 45 tropical storms and hurricanes could pass over this region in our century alone.” The researchers emphasize that natural climate fluctuations cannot account for this increase, pointing instead to human-induced climate change as the primary driver.
Source: https://scitechdaily.com/5700-years-of-storms-reveal-a-brewing-caribbean-crisis