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Widespread tropical cyclone activity during the Late Paleozoic Ice Age
Qing Yan1,2,3, Sophia Macarewich4, Nanxuan Jiang5
1State Key Laboratory of Earth System Numerical Modeling and Application, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. yanqing@mail.iap.ac.cn.
Nature Communications
|July 21, 2026
Summary
Tropical cyclone (TC) activity occurred during the Late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA), with tracks reaching high latitudes. Climate shifts during the LPIA influenced TC frequency and intensity, showing poleward migration is a consistent Earth system behavior.
Area of Science:
- Paleoclimatology
- Earth System Science
- Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction
Background:
- The extent of tropical cyclone (TC) activity during the Late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA), a prolonged icehouse period, is debated due to limited sedimentary evidence.
- Reconciling sedimentary records with climate models is crucial for understanding past storm behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of tropical cyclone activity during the LPIA.
- To resolve controversies surrounding TC behavior in an icehouse climate state.
Main Methods:
- Global compilation of 126 storm records from the LPIA (approx. 360-260 Ma).
- High-resolution (~25-km) simulations resolving tropical cyclones.
- Integration of geological data with climate modeling.
Main Results:
- A quasi-symmetric meridional distribution of TC genesis in the tropics during the LPIA, with tracks extending poleward (>60°N/S).
- Widespread storm deposits in subtropical and tropical regions align with simulated TC tracks.
- Reduced global TC frequency and enhanced intensity during CO₂-driven glacial-interglacial transitions, with poleward shifts in activity.
- Poleward TC migration linked to heterogeneous warming and altered atmospheric circulation.
Conclusions:
- TC activity was present during the LPIA, extending into high latitudes.
- Warming-induced poleward migration of TC activity is a characteristic feature of the Earth system, independent of climate state.
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