Anna Hartz
The Caribbean Is Seeing More Tropical Storms Than Ever Before
The Caribbean is known for its warm waters, coral reefs, and beautiful coastlines. But it’s also known for powerful storms.
In recent years, these storms seem to be happening more often. Scientists now have more proof that climate change may be the reason why.
A group of researchers studied sediments from the Great Blue Hole in the Caribbean Sea. This is a massive sinkhole surrounded by a coral reef.
It’s located about 80 kilometers off the coast of Belize. The Great Blue Hole is 124 meters deep and about 300 meters wide. It formed around 10,000 years ago when sea levels rose after the last ice age.
The scientists pulled a 30-meter-long core of sediment from the bottom of the sinkhole, writes WP. Each layer of sediment shows changes in the environment, kind of like rings in a tree.
Some layers show signs of strong storms. Others show calmer years. By counting and analyzing these layers, the team tracked storm activity going back 5,700 years.
The results are surprising. In the past 20 years, nine tropical cyclones passed through the area. That’s much more than the average of the last six millennia.
This sudden rise points to something unusual. The lead researcher, Dominik Schmitt, believes it’s connected to modern global warming.
Tropical cyclones need warm ocean water to form. As the sea gets warmer, the chances of storms increase.
The scientists also think changes in wind and weather patterns play a role. One example is the southward shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone, which affects storm paths in the Atlantic.
Looking ahead, things might get worse. If current trends continue, the Caribbean could see up to 45 major storms before the year 2100.
That would be a record high for the region in thousands of years. Scientists say this is not just part of a natural cycle. Human-caused climate change is making the problem worse.
More research is needed. But one thing is clear. The Caribbean is facing stronger and more frequent storms, and we need to be ready.