The Mesoamerican and Caribbean (MAC) region is characterized by tropical cyclones (TCs), strong El Niño-Southern Oscillation events, and climate variability that bring unique hazards to socio-ecological systems. Here we report the first characterization of the isotopic evolution of a TC (Hurricane Otto, 2016) in the MAC region. We use long-term daily rainfall isotopes from Costa Rica and event-based sampling of Hurricanes Irma and Maria (2017), to underpin the dynamical drivers of TC isotope ratios. During Hurricane Otto, rainfall exhibited a large isotopic range, comparable to the annual isotopic cycle. As Hurricane Otto organized into a Category 3, rapid isotopic depletion coupled with a decrease in d-excess indicates efficient isotopic fractionation within ~200 km SW of the warm core. Our results shed light on key processes governing rainfall isotope ratios in the MAC region during continental and maritime TC tracks, with applications to the interpretation of paleo-hydroclimate across the tropics.

Tropical cyclones (TCs) are one of the major natural hazards to island and coastal communities and ecosystems. However, isotopic compositions of TC‐derived precipitation (P) in surface water (SW) and groundwater (GW) reservoirs are still lacking. We tested the three main assumptions of the isotope storm “spike” hypothesis (sudden spikes in isotopic ratios). Our database covers 40 TCs and is divided into recent (N = 778; 2012–2023) and archived (N = 236; 1984–1995) rainfall isotope observations and SW/GW isotope monitoring (N = 6013; 2014–2023). Seasonal rainfall contribution from TCs ranged from less than 1% to over 54% (4% on average) between 1984 and 2023. Mean δ¹⁸O compositions across TCs domains were significantly lower than the regional (noncyclonic) δ¹⁸O mean (−5.24 ± 4.27‰): maritime (−6.29 ± 3.28‰), coastal (−7.78 ± 4.28‰), and inland (−9.80 ± 5.18‰) values. Coastal and maritime TC convection resulted in large rainfall amounts with high isotope compositions. This could bias past climate reconstructions toward unrealistic drier conditions. Significant δ¹⁸O and d‐excess differences were found between storm intensities. P/SW and P/GW isotope ratios revealed the rapid propagation of TC excursions in freshwater systems. Our findings highlight the potential of TC isotope observations for diagnosing intensity and frequency in paleoproxies beyond idealized TC models.

The stable isotope composition of meteoric water has been widely used to understand hydrological processes worldwide. We present a unique dataset, with the isotopic composition (δ¹⁸O and δ²H) of meteoric waters, derived from a nationwide study in Cuba. It includes monthly composite and event-based precipitations, from January 2017 to December 2021 (N = 526 and N = 111 respectively). Monthly data showed minor seasonal trends (dry vs. rainy), with a notable influence of tropical cyclones. Event-based data demonstrated that precipitation associated with tropical cyclones exhibited lower isotopic compositions. The analysis of potential factors influencing the isotopic composition of precipitation showed a minor influence of the rainfall amount, but negligible influence of factors such are relative humidity, elevation, and air temperature. This data set can be used as a tool not only to understand hydrological processes at the country scale, but also to further improve and develop isotope-enabled modelling for assessing water balances and fluxes, understanding the impact of extreme events, and paleoreconstruction in the Intra-Americas Sea.

This study assesses the level of background radiation for Cienfuegos Province, Cuba. Measurements of outdoor gamma radiation (of terrestrial and cosmic origin) in air were performed at 198 locations using a GPS navigator and a dose meter (SRP-68-01, 30 × 25 mm NaI detector). The average absorbed dose was found to be 73.9 nGy h-1 (17.2–293.9 nGy h-1), corresponding to an annual effective dose of 74.7 μSv (21–324 μSv). When compared with the data available for other places, the absorbed gamma doses obtained in this study indicate a background radiation level that falls within natural limits for the Damuji, Salado and Caonao watersheds; however, the Arimao and Gavilanes watersheds present levels of the absorbed dose and annual effective dose comparable with high background radiation areas. An isodose map of the terrestrial gamma dose rate in Cienfuegos was drawn using the GIS application “Arc View”. This study provides important baseline data of radiation exposure in the area.

To contribute to SDG-15 about the conservation of terrestrial ecosystems, the effective management of land resources is required. In this respect, determining the land use and cover (LUC) based on remote sensing constitutes a strength. For the Arimao watershed in the province Cienfuegos of Cuba, the main difficulty in determining the LUC is related to the topographic correction in the mountains of Trinidad. This study aims to validate the effectiveness of seven topographic correction methods using classification accuracy as a criterion. For this purpose, the mountain area was cut out on the Landsat-8 OLI image of December 2020, based on its physical–geographical and geological characteristics. Seven topographic correction algorithms were applied: Cosine correction, Improved cosine, C-correction, Minnaert, Minnaert with the slope, including Riano and others by Law, and the Normalization correction. To evaluate their performance, three criteria were used: visual interpretation, statistical analysis, and assessing classification accuracy taking into account eight cover classes. The obtained results showed a higher effectiveness of the Minnaert correction with slope and roughness coefficient k = 0.3, with an overall accuracy of 94.08%. The user and producer accuracies increased the performance for almost all forest classes. For the mountains of Trinidad, the non-forest classes were not affected by the topographic correction, so it was possible to apply the topographic correction algorithms to the entire area. The results have demonstrated the necessity of applying the criterion of accuracy assessment to select the best topographic correction.

Martín Infierno Cave is a 430-ha Cuban protected area best known for its cave system, which contains the largest stalagmite in the world. From a speleological standpoint, the area has been well studied; however its above-ground habitats are much less documented, and the fauna not at all. The objective of our work was to compile a list of birds, by habitat, identified throughout this protected area, to lay the groundwork for subsequent avian studies, and ultimately a more informed management and conservation plan for the site. We recorded 72 species, belonging to 17 orders and 32 families. Of these species, 13 are endemic to Cuba and 4 are categorized as Endangered or Vulnerable. The most species of birds (55) were recorded within the evergreen mesophyll forest plant formation. The Order Passeriformes and the Family Parulidae represented the greatest number of species recorded, with 33 and 11, respectively. Keywords Cuba, birds and plant formations, Martín Infierno Cave, protected area Resumen Inventario de aves en diferentes formaciones vegetales del área protegida Cueva Martín Infierno, de la región sur-central de Cuba • Martín Infierno es un área protegida cubana de 430 ha, conocida principalmente por su sistema cavernario, en el cual se encuentra la estalagmita más grande del mundo. Desde el punto de vista espeleológico, este sitio ha sido bien estudiado; sin embargo, sus hábitats sobre la superficie están mucho menos documentados, y su fauna aún no ha sido investigada. Por ello el objetivo de este trabajo fue elaborar la primera lista de aves de la Cueva Martín Infierno, como el primer paso para futuros estudios sobre este grupo zoológico en el lugar. Este estudio inicial ayudará a allanar el camino para el manejo y conservación de las aves en esta área protegida recientemente establecida. La avifauna registrada está compuesta por 72 especies, pertenecientes a 17 órdenes y 32 familias. Entre ellas, 13 son endémicas y cuatro están categorizadas con algún grado de amenaza. La formación vegetal con el mayor número de especies detectadas fue el bosque siempreverde mesófilo (55 especies). La familia con mayor número fue Parulidae (11) y el orden con más especies fue Passeriformes (33). Palabras clave área protegida, aves y formaciones vegetales, Cuba, Cueva Martín Infierno. Résumé Inventaire des oiseaux dans différentes formations végétales de l’aire protégée de la grotte Martín Infierno dans le sud de la région centrale de Cuba • La grotte Martín Infierno est une aire protégée cubaine de 430 hectares, surtout connue pour son système souterrain qui contient la plus grande stalagmite du monde. D’un point de vue spéléologique, la zone a été bien étudiée, mais ses habitats de surface sont beaucoup moins documentés et sa faune sauvage ne l’est pas du tout. L’objectif de notre travail était de dresser une liste des oiseaux identifiés dans les différents habitats de cette aire protégée, afin de jeter les bases pour des études ultérieures de l’avifaune et, finalement, pour un plan de gestion et de conservation du site bien informé. Nous avons inventorié 72 espèces, appartenant à 17 ordres et 32 familles. Parmi ces espèces, 13 sont endémiques de Cuba et 4 sont classées dans les catégories En danger ou Vulnérable. La plupart des espèces d’oiseaux (55) ont été mentionnées dans la formation végétale de la forêt mésophylle à feuilles persistantes. L’Ordre des Passeriformes et la Famille des Parulidae étaient les plus représentés avec respectivement 33 et 11 espèces. Mots clés aire protégée, Cuba, grotte Martín Infierno, oiseaux et formations végétales