Global Warming

While there is some debate about wether or not global warning affects hurricanes, many scientists do believe that warmer temperatures can cause more intense storms. Some also believe the warming trends lead to more frequent hurricanes, and point to the rising number of tropical storms in the United States as proof.

Causes

Global warming is the result of a variety of factors, some are natural and many are man-made. Two of the main causes are carbon dioxide and deforestation.

There are many contributors to carbon dioxide levels, such as cars and other vehicles, power plants, factories and buildings. Trees absorb carbon from the Earth's atmosphere, so deforestation not only produces even more carbon dioxide, it also reduces the planets natural ability to get rid of this toxin.

Ocean temperature

Because of global warming, the temperature of the oceans has actually risen. It is a very small amount - about one degree within a 50 year period of time - but it takes a massive force to affect the ocean in any way. Recent studies have shown that the temperature of the North Atlantic sea is higher than it has been in many years, and that is where the majority of hurricanes in the United States are formed.

Since 1988 the amount of water vapor that is in the air just above every ocean has grown by approximately 2%. That means there is extra moisture in the atmosphere, and that will lead to heavier rains during a hurricane. Many hurricanes do not reach land at all, or only reach land after they have mostly died down. Hurricanes that rage above the sea are the cause of most hurricane related flooding, so this extra water will result in even more extreme floods.

Heat from a hurricane

Every tropical storm produces a large amount of heat. The center of a hurricane pulls up water from the ocean and from the atmosphere above the ocean, causing that water to become part of the storm and leading to heavier rain fall and possibly even thunder storms.

When the water being drawn in to the hurricane is warm, it helps to increase the overall temperature of the storm. Many scientists state that the warmer conditions caused by global warming will lead to more powerful, and therefore more dangerous storms.

It may not be possible to know for sure how much global warming affects hurricanes, if at all. As the debate goes on, scientists, meteorologists and others who study weather patterns will continue to research and investigate this controversial topic.

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