Do you think that global warming contributes to the number and strength of

[genieroze]

hurricanes? 71% of FAUX viewers say NO. I'm not suprised.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,170542,00.html#poll

[hlthe2b]

1. Strength and destructiveness, yes... Number: probably not...

[mike_c]

2. they know that the major influence on climatic events like hurricanes...

...is either god's will, or Clinton's penis, depending on where the storm lands and who's killed.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

3. My gut feeling is that global warming is real

but I'm not convinced it has reached the point to affect hurricane growth and strength. We have had years with bad storms before.

And we have only been keeping record for a very short time. Seems premature to me to draw that conclusion.

But the end result is the same. We need to prepare better for them.

[gasperc]

4. to the strength, once the depression gets into the warm water

all bets are off, I think it's pretty safe to say that once over the 87+ degree water Katrina and Rita got supercharged pretty damn quick. From a tropical storm to a 175mph cat5 in 48 hours. Only until it hit a zone of cooler temps did it lose some punch. If the Atlantic warms like the Gulf has, it seems like we can be guaranteed to get cat3+ hurricanes hit major populations year after year.

The frequency thing, I have no thought on. That's more directed at what gets these storms started in the first place. And that is very complicated related to temperature, wind currents, water currents, high pressures, low pressures and thier location that creates the right conditions for a tropical storm to get started.

[ewagner]

6. Yes, warm water adds to strength

but the problem for the scientific community is that there have been cycles of warmer and cooler water temps in the gulf of Mexico in recorded history and it's almost impossible to separate the cyclic effect from global warming. Max Mayfield had a great graphic on it the other night on CNN. Scientist can't provethe effect of global warming on hurricanes beyond a reasonable doubt just yet.

[On the Road]

5. Geez -- They Should Just Think for A Minute

Remember how Katrina was relatively weak when it crossed Florida, then escalated into a powerful hurricane over the Gulf of Mexico? The reason was the extremely warm waters of the Gulf.

Now apply that principle to the entire Atlantic Ocean. How can that NOT cause hurricanes to get stronger?

[hatrack]

14. Rita went from a Tropical Storm to a CAT-5 in 27 hours

And the Weather Channel during their Katrina coverage noted that they'd had to reset their computers, since they were programmed to ignore all Gulf of Mexico water temperatures reading 90F or higher.

How these kinds of phenomena - in the context of record water temperatures all along the Gulf Coast this summer, record 6F warming in the Pacific Ocean along the West Coast (no El Nino, either) and in the light of rapidly rising ocean water temperatures, decreasing salinity, ocean currents slowing down or speeding up, all happening at the same time - can NOT be linked somehow to climate breakdown, I just don't know. Hotter water = more energy = stronger storms. Duh.

As far as frequency, I don't know - another kettle of fish entirely. There is a multi-decade cycle which helps govern the frequency of Atlantic Basin hurricanes, and we're now shifting into a more active phase.

[On the Road]

24. As Far Frequency Goes,

it's possible that global warming does not increase the number of storms that eventually become hurricanes, but instead makes each a little stronger. That has the effect of increasing the number of storms over X miles per hour, and thus increases the number of hurricanes.

[SoFlaJet]

7. no because they're all

Bill Clinton's fault stoopid

[genieroze]

8. Oops, sorry I forgot

[Demoiselle]

9. YES! Certainly it's adding to "Strength"....Hard data says that the ...

number of Cat 5 storms per year has grown over past 30 years...doubled, tripled..I can't remember which, but perfectly reputable scientists have been pointing this out for quite a while.

[SouthernDem2004]

13. Actually it points to the opposite.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4902054&mesg_id=4902350

[Fenris]

10. It's difficult to come to a clear answer on this.

Considering that the Gulf has gone through warm cycles before, resulting in more powerful storms, it is hard to come up with a definitive answer for the question. Are the more powerful storms cyclical effects, or are they caused by something else (namely global warming)?

I think it is too early to tell at this point.

[SouthernDem2004]

11. No and here is why...

Huge storms over the years: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/history.shtml

List of hurricanes since 1851: http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/index.html


http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastdec.shtml?

Look at the numbers and we are getting less actually.

[Silverhair]

18. That list left of a bunch of big hurricanes.

Carla wasn't on there. I didn't see Elanea or Georges either.

[SouthernDem2004]

20. Big but not deadly per say. Read other links... They include all.

[Demoiselle]

19. In 2001-2005 we've already got 5 biggies in 5 years...

If it continues to go that way, we'll have 10 in the decade...a match for the highest decade in the record. I understand the cyclical nature of hurricanes, too....but I've heard too many experts say yes to this question. Warm water builds hurricanes. Warmer water builds bigger hurricanes.

[SouthernDem2004]

21. Well if an "expert" says yes and the data shows no... Go figure.

[sam sarrha]

12. gulf stream is flowing 1/4 as fast as 10 yrs ago, is up to 90 degrees F

and rising

[SouthernDem2004]

15. The facts are available: See links

Huge storms over the years: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/history.shtml

List of hurricanes since 1851: http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/index.html


http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastdec.shtml ?

Look at the numbers and we are getting less actually.

[sakabatou]

16. There should be "I don't believe in that crap."

[Silverhair]

17. Not yet.

First, before anybody flames me - global warming is real. And I have posted to that effect numerous time before.

Many things in nature are cyclic, and of vastly differing periods. There are sunspot cycles. There are Ige Age/Warm cycles. The is the El Nino cycle. And there appears to be a 50 - 60 year Atlantic basin hurricane cycle. We have recently entered the active phase of such a cycle.

Nobody has any idea what drives the cycle.

The effects of global warming on the weather, at this point, I think, would be more subtle.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

22. Hell, yes.

Strength and destructiveness, definitely. NUmber? Maybe.

And of COURSE Faux viewers say that. They're all sheep.

(Begin :sarcasm:) After all, we ALL know that global warming doesn't exist. The earth is only getting hotter... no biggie. That way all the nonChristians will burn on Hell/Earth while we soar away into the sky to be in heaven forever... (End :sarcasm:)

[leftofthedial]

23. it makes all weather more violent and more unpredictable

at least for a while, it makes ocean water warmer (that may change)

ocean temperature is well known to be a factor in hurricane formation and intensity