CARIBBEAN HYDROCLIMATE VARIABILITY OVER THE LATE PLEISTOCENE: A HIGH-RESOLUTION SPELEOTHEM RECORD FROM WESTERN CUBA

The evolution of hydroclimate patterns in the Caribbean over the late Pleistocene remains unresolved. Here we present a preliminary high-resolution record of Caribbean hydroclimate from 65,000 to 26,000 years ago, derived from a speleothem (STC-03) collected in 2019 from Antorcha Cave, Santo Tomás Cave system, Pinar del Río, Western Cuba. We measure δ¹⁸O at 0.5 mm resolution and analyze this record against our age model derived from U-Th dating. Stable oxygen isotopes in speleothems can reflect changes in regional hydrology and precipitation over time, which can be sensitive to a wide array of critical climate phenomena, such as cyclone frequency, Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, and the North Atlantic Oscillation. Deciphering how these regional and global teleconnections operated during the late Pleistocene will bring forth insight into future climate variability, providing critical context for the millions of people who live in climate-vulnerable communities throughout the Caribbean and beyond.