New climate-change study focuses on extreme weather
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.028986
Nature : Besides monitoring changes in atmospheric circulation, climate scientists should also concentrate on the underlying causes of extreme weather, according to a new study published in Nature Climate Change. Kevin Trenberth of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, and colleagues used particular weather events—such as Hurricane Sandy, which struck the US East Coast in October 2012—to illustrate how changes in the climate system’s thermodynamic state can affect a storm’s intensity. By modeling the storm and varying the sea-surface temperature, the researchers found that the warmer waters caused by climate change boosted the storm’s size and strength by increasing the amount of water vapor and precipitation. Even a small change “can make a big difference,” says Trenberth.
