Một ví dụ khác của thời tiết khắc nghiệt là những gì được mô tả trong Chương 6. Năm 2004 và 2005, có thường xuyên hơn, các cơn bão mạnh hơn đánh Mỹ hơn đã bao giờ trước khi ghi. Như chúng ta biết, nhiên liệu cho một cơn bão là nước ấm. Nếu nhiệt độ nước được nâng lên, đặc biệt là ở vùng Vịnh Mexico, | Global Warming 139 Another example of extreme weather is what was described in Chapter 6. In 2004 and 2005 there were more frequent more intense hurricanes hitting the United States than were ever before recorded. As we know the fuel for a hurricane is warm water. If water temperatures are raised especially in the Gulf of Mexico the energy for more destructive hurricanes is possible. Studies done at the Commerce Department s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory in Princeton New Jersey showed that by the year 2080 a typical hurricane could intensify by an extra half step in the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale and rainfall would be nearly 20 percent more intense. All of this could be caused by higher CO2 emissions that generate a strong greenhouse effect. As a mild disclaimer you have to contextualize the current temperatures and the melting of the polar ice caps. The . Climatic Weather Center chart http oar content shows the changes in world temperatures from 1880 to 2001. The temperatures from 1880 to 1980 were at or below the average. It has only been since 1980 that temperatures have risen. As the EPA points out The 20th century s 10 warmest years all occurred in the last 15 years of the century. Of these 1998 was the warmest year on record. The snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere and floating ice in the Arctic Ocean have decreased. Globally sea level has risen 4-8 inches over the past century. Worldwide precipitation over land has increased by about 1 percent. The frequency of extreme rainfall events has increased throughout much of the United States. Last Patrick J. Michaels addresses some of the extreme commentary on polar ice cap melting with some fascinating information. In Is the Sky Really Falling A Review of Recent Global Warming Scare Stories Michaels takes a look at the recent accelerated Arctic Greenland melting. He takes umbrage at a 2005 NASA report that showed false-color satellite images .
