Hurricanes growing fiercer with global warming
Hurricanes growing fiercer with global warming
Stands to reason. The warmer it is the more moisture in the air. The moister the air the less resistance lost to friction.
But Albert E ain’t worried bout no global warming…
Themocracy
Actually, I don’t think it’s about friction. Hurricanes are heat engines, and the more heat there is in the ocean, the more power the engine has. I doubt it is quite as simple as that, but that is the bottom line. And for all we know, as the temperature of the ocean goes up, the strength of the hurricane goes up even more-we just don’t have the experience to tell. But we will probably get it in the future.
I think it’s a combination of both of these and many more. There was an article a week or so ago, that I think I posted a link to, about the part moisture in the air, above the water surface, plays in wind speed. The oil on the water one? Will look and see if I can locate it and link back there.
Update: http://www.physorg.com/news5420.html
Not exactly what I remembered but the same “general” thinking still applies. Temperature goes up, surface tension goes down.
Anyway, and this is my thinking only, not to be taken with anything but a laxative – Factor the decreased friction above the water surface (due to the increased evaporation and lowered surface tension, both caused by increased ocean temperatures) in and you get faster winds further from the center which compounds the effects of the increased energy source of the warmer water in the ocean (and air above it) and you have a REAL deadly combo like we are starting to see, and see earlier in the season.
The temp in the gulf (forget where) hit 92 a month before normal (if malfunctioning memory serves) this year. Fluke? I am so afraid not.
I think this just highlights that we don’t know a LOT of things. But we are going to find them out, one way or another. We are changing the weather, I feel, (although how much is uncertain) and the weather is changing all the time, also. Perhaps “climate” would be a better term than “weather” in this context. Anyway, the more research I see about weather in times past, it seems the more the weather has jumped around in the past. We may be living (and dying) in interesting times indeed.