Saturday, January 31, 2009

Hurricanes: human-induced climate change leading to stronger storms

Through their fury, they are in fact bringing balance to the planet's climate. - MSNBC
clipped from www.msnbc.msn.com
Image: Hurricane Floyd

Just as a changing climate shapes the strength and frequency of hurricanes, the storms may have a huge effect on climate, leaving "footprints" in the atmosphere and ocean.

Hurricanes are infamous as harbingers of chaos — flooding cities, ripping houses to shreds, destroying beaches and even whole islands. And concerns are growing that human-induced climate change may lead to stronger storms whose intensity will wreak even more havoc on coastal communities around the world.

Scientists have known for years that hurricanes cause cool ocean waters to well up, but Hart was surprised at how long the atmosphere retained a "memory" of each storm.

That got him thinking: if one storm can have such a lasting impact, what does a whole season of storms do to Earth's climate? Would there be a difference in effect between an active hurricane season and a quiet one?

Through their fury, they are in fact bringing balance to the planet's climate.
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