We should be careful not to hastily over-subscribe severe weather to climate change. Conservative movements world-wide are hunting for what they regard as fake news in order to pursue narrower interests. Hence, we should be careful not to jump to conclusions. Especially when asking what made Hurricane Michael so ugly, when it lashed down on Mexico Beach, Florida on October 10th, 2018.
New York Times Asks What Made Hurricane Michael So Severe
Henry Fountain says we do not (yet) have sufficient evidence to point a finger at global warming in this instance. Although we do know that climate change promises stronger storms because warmer water feeds them more energy.
Moreover, we will experience stronger storm surges due to rising sea levels. Therefore, the consequences of global warming appear to be what made Hurricane Michael so ugly in terms of what we know. This is not to say our opinion may not change. We are waiting on scientists to tell us whether the carbon-dioxide in the atmosphere had a direct effect.
Some Evidence that Warming Had a Direct Impact
New York Times asked scientists what made Hurricane Michael so fierce. It discovered the Gulf of Mexico has been warming faster than we can expect from natural variability. Moreover, “we have reason to believe humans have made the water warmer,” says NOAA researcher Thomas R. Knutson.
Knutson cites work by Kerry Emanuel, scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Emanuel believes “the temperature difference between ocean and upper atmosphere determines how much a storm intensifies.” Furthermore, human-caused warming increases water-vapor in the air helping explain high precipitation.
We hasten to mention these are tantalizing suggestions at this early stage. We await the results of scientific research with interest. But we ought not jump to conclusions that global warming was what made Hurricane Michael so ugly, until all the reports checked in.
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Preview Image: The Eye of Hurricane Michael October 10, 2018
Video Share Link: https://youtu.be/sC2irnBE7x4
