Why do some hurricanes grow much larger than others? This is what a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences hopes to address as a team of researchers investigated the processes responsible for hurricane sizes, specifically regarding ocean conditions. This study has the potential to help researchers, climate scientists, and the public better understand the connection between climate change and hurricanes, and how to prepare for the worst hurricanes.
For the study, the researchers analyzed archival data and climate models for global sea surface temperature (SST) with the goal of establishing a connection between SST and the size of hurricanes, along with determining if climate change plays a role in hurricane size. In the end, the researchers found that higher SST contributes to larger hurricanes while suggesting that climate change does not play a significant role in SST and larger hurricanes. This latter finding could bring relief to climate scientists who have been warning that increased global temperatures contribute to larger hurricanes. Finally, the researchers note these findings could help predict hurricane sizes, thus enabling better preparedness.
“A larger storm has a larger footprint of damaging winds, generates higher storm surge and over a larger area, and produces more rainfall — all greater risks to society,” said Dr. Danyang Wang, who is a postdoctoral researcher at Purdue University and lead author of the study. “Better predictions of storm size at landfall translate to better predictions of the hazards that pose risks to life and property.”
This study comes as climate change continues to ravage the planet, including increased global temperatures. However, studies like this demonstrate that despite past hypotheses, climate change might not be responsible for larger and more intense hurricanes.
What new connections between ocean warming and hurricane sizes will researchers make in the coming years and decades? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!
As always, keep doing science & keep looking up!
Sources: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, EurekAlert!
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