Global Warming

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By definition, global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the atmosphere, oceans, and landmasses of the planet Earth. Since its existence, the planet has warmed and cooled various times. Presently, the Earth is going through a period of warming due to an increase in temperatures, which most scientists believe is global warming is a result of human actions. The main cause of warming is thought to be the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas, which releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. And as the atmosphere becomes abundant in these chemicals, it retains more and more of the heat provided by the Sun and this causes temperatures to increase. ("Global Warming"). The question that arises is whether this global warming is causing hurricanes or the hurricanes the global warming?

The fact that global warming is real can be easily proved because its effects can be seen all around the world. Its effects can be seen in North America with its disappearing ice, starving polar bears, and wayward whale migrations. Residents of towns from Latin America to Southeast Asia see it in lethal hurricanes, landslides, and floodwaters. It can be seen in Europe in its vanishing alpine glaciers, Mediterranean droughts, and freak storms (Pearce 4). Specifically, global warming is already affecting the weather, sea levels, and glacier

An environmental effect of global warming is the fact that higher temperatures will lead to a change in the water cycle. Some places may experience more rain. Warmer temperatures will cause a greater amount of evaporation from lakes, rivers, and oceans. In some areas this could be good, and in others it could be considered bad. In northern regions of the United States, an increase in the temperature and amount of rain could actually extend the growing season of crops. This would in turn mean more money for farmers in the northern region. It could also hurt some farmers. Too much rain is bad for some crops. Certain areas will actually get less rain, which would lead to more droughts and have a negative impact on crops. Warm and wet weather is usually a factor that promotes tropical storms. Global warming would lead to tropical storms' appearing with greater frequency. More rain will also force plant life to adjust.

Global warming is responsible for warmer temperatures overall. Various sources make evident how much the Earth's temperature has increased. It has been observed that the 10 warmest years since 1860 have all been since 1980 (UCS 59). And, the US National Climate Data Center has reported that, "the warmest year in the warmest decade in the warmest century of the last millennium was 1998. The second- and third-warmest years on the record were 1997 and 1995. There is now little doubt that our planet warmed substantially during the 20^th century - by 0.5ºF (0.25ºC) a decade..." (Pearce 6). As for 1998, April to June of the year were the driest spring months ever recorded in the states of Florida, Texas, and Louisiana. And in May, San Antonio, Texas got only 8 percent of its normal precipitation (Berger 37). It has also been noted that the average global temperature has increased by 0.5˚ to 1.1˚F with night-time lows increasing more than day-time highs (UCS 59). And finally, studies show that due to the increased temperatures, moisture is coming down in the form of rain rather than snow ("Global Warming"). Studies have also shown that in the northeastern United States ice is covering lakes fifteen fewer days per year than it did about 30 years ago (Berger 37). There are so many more instances that show how global warming is affecting the weather actions. But the above examples are enough to prove that average temperatures have increased and how global warming is affecting our climate. Now that there is an idea of what global warming is and what are its consequences, the most important question can be answered - whether there is a relationship between hurricanes and global warming.

Hurricanes begin over the warm tropical waters of the North Atlantic Ocean near the equator. Usually, hurricanes appear in late summer or early fall, when sea temperatures are at their highest. The warm waters heats the air above it, and the updrafts of warm, moist air begin to rise. But the cloud tops rarely rise higher than about 6,000 feet. At that height in the tropics, there is usually a layer of warm, dry air that acts like an invisible ceiling or lid. Once in a while, something happens in the upper air that destroys this lid. It is unknown how and why this happens. But, when it does, it's the first step in the birth of a hurricane. Now as the air swirls in over the sea surface, it soaks up more and more water vapor. At the center of the storm, the new supply of water vapor gets pulled into the thunderhead updrafts, releasing energy as the water vapor condenses. This makes the updrafts rise faster and pull in even larger amounts of air and water vapor from the storm's edges. And as the updrafts speed up, air swirls faster and faster around the storm center. The storm clouds, moving with the swirling air, form a coil (Global Warming and Hurricanes).

Since there is a link between higher ocean temperatures and hurricanes, there are questions whether hurricanes will increase in frequency or intensity in a warmer world, with higher wind speeds and greater precipitation. Scientists do believe that global warming will result in more intense hurricanes, as increasing sea surface temperatures provide energy for storm intensification (Global Warming and Hurricanes).

The following are just some observations that cause scientists to question whether there is a relationship among global warming and hurricanes. Even though the average number of hurricanes between 1995 and 2005 is probably happened for the first time in history there doesn't seem to be a long-term increase in the number of hurricanes during the 20th century overall. Instead, there have been periods of high hurricane activity that last for several decades, followed by decades of low activity. The 1920s-30s and 1950s-60s were active periods. Beginning in 1995 and currently the earth is in the phase of high hurricane frequency, which is expected to continue for another decade or two (Global Warming and Hurricanes).

The number of storms that occurred in 2004 was the third-highest number in the 1950-2004 time periods. The 2005 season is expected to be more active than 2004 and may become the most active season on record. Nevertheless, this recent season of unusually high activity is too short to determine whether it represents a long-term increase in hurricane frequency (Global Warming and Hurricanes).