Beyond the intertropical convergence zone: A regional synthesis of Late Pleistocene hydroclimate in the northern Tropical Americas

The northern Tropical Americas (NTA) is influenced by multiple large-scale hydroclimate drivers, including the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), whose position and strength varied significantly during the Late Pleistocene (130–11.7 kyr BP). Since the 1960s, paleoclimate studies have provided valuable but often scattered insights into environmental changes and precipitation variability. Recent advances in dating techniques, access to older sediment records, and the development of novel proxies have improved our understanding of regional climate dynamics during recent glacial-interglacial cycles. This review compiles paleoclimate records from 166 sites across the NTA, derived from 241 studies spanning terrestrial and marine archives, to assess the current state of paleoclimatological knowledge and identify gaps and limitations. We examine a subset of 83 sites covering Marine Isotope Stage 5 (MIS5; 130–70 kyr BP) to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; 22–17.5 kyr BP) in detail, focusing on precipitation patterns. We explore the interactions among major atmospheric and oceanic processes, including the ITCZ, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, the North Atlantic High System, the Caribbean Low-Level Jet, and the North American Monsoon. Our synthesis reveals pronounced spatial differences in precipitation regimes across tropical and subtropical ecosystems from MIS5 to the LGM. These findings challenge the prevailing view of the warm-wet interglacial versus cold-dry glacial framework in the NTA. Instead, orbital and millennial-scale variability, combined with altitude, meridional gradients and local orography, modulate the timing and amplitude of hydroclimate responses. This review places the NTA within the broader framework of global Late Pleistocene climatology and identifies key directions for future paleoclimate research in the region.