Warmer Seas and Hurricanes
Friday, 1. February 2008, 09:40:14
Many researchers believe warming is causing Atlantic hurricanes to get stronger, while others aren't so sure. As late as last week U.S. researchers challenged the view that as hurricanes feed on warm water global warming would lead to more powerful storms - saying global warming could reduce the number of hurricanes hitting the United States with warmer waters resulting in atmospheric instabilities that prevent storms from forming.
According to an article published yesterday, 31 January 2008, in Nature sea surface warming contributes largely to the recent increase in Atlantic hurricane activity. I am referring to Large contribution of sea surface warming to recent increase in Atlantic hurricane activity by Saunders & Lea.
The researchers claim that 0.5°C increase in sea surface temperature is associated with a 40 percent increase in hurricane frequency and activity. They showed that ocean warming is directly linked to the frequency, strength and duration of hurricanes. The authors looked at storms that formed in the tropical North Atlantic, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico - a region that produced nearly 90 percent of the hurricanes that struck the United States between 1950 and 2005. The results refer to increase in hurricane activity relative to the fifty year (1950-2000) average between 1996 and 2005.
In the period 1950-2000 there were around six hurricanes per year on average, roughly half of which were intense hurricanes. But for the 10 years from 1996 to 2005, the tally rose to about eight hurricanes per year, about four of which were intense ones. After stripping out the role of wind in hurricane generation, the researchers calculate that an increase of 0.5 degrees Celsius was responsible for about 40 percent of the rise in hurricane activity.
The paper could be a major contribution to scientists struggling to understand impacts from global warming.
• http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v451/n7178/abs/nature06422.html
• http://www.scientificblogging.com/news_releases/study_links_north_atlantic_sea_surface_temperature_and_hurricane_activity_0
• http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Warmer_seas_boosted_hurricane_frequency_by_40_percent_study_999.html
• http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-01/ucl-iha012808.php
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/feedarticle?id=7268579
• http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080130130647.htm
• http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/32646;jsessionid=301BEAC2887974FB134045748FF44F28
According to an article published yesterday, 31 January 2008, in Nature sea surface warming contributes largely to the recent increase in Atlantic hurricane activity. I am referring to Large contribution of sea surface warming to recent increase in Atlantic hurricane activity by Saunders & Lea.
The researchers claim that 0.5°C increase in sea surface temperature is associated with a 40 percent increase in hurricane frequency and activity. They showed that ocean warming is directly linked to the frequency, strength and duration of hurricanes. The authors looked at storms that formed in the tropical North Atlantic, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico - a region that produced nearly 90 percent of the hurricanes that struck the United States between 1950 and 2005. The results refer to increase in hurricane activity relative to the fifty year (1950-2000) average between 1996 and 2005.
In the period 1950-2000 there were around six hurricanes per year on average, roughly half of which were intense hurricanes. But for the 10 years from 1996 to 2005, the tally rose to about eight hurricanes per year, about four of which were intense ones. After stripping out the role of wind in hurricane generation, the researchers calculate that an increase of 0.5 degrees Celsius was responsible for about 40 percent of the rise in hurricane activity.
The paper could be a major contribution to scientists struggling to understand impacts from global warming.
• http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v451/n7178/abs/nature06422.html
• http://www.scientificblogging.com/news_releases/study_links_north_atlantic_sea_surface_temperature_and_hurricane_activity_0
• http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Warmer_seas_boosted_hurricane_frequency_by_40_percent_study_999.html
• http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-01/ucl-iha012808.php
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/feedarticle?id=7268579
• http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080130130647.htm
• http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/32646;jsessionid=301BEAC2887974FB134045748FF44F28
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