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Evidence in support of the climate change–Atlantic hurricane hypothesis
Author(s) -
Elsner James B.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2006gl026869
Subject(s) - atlantic multidecadal oscillation , atlantic hurricane , atlantic equatorial mode , sea surface temperature , climatology , north atlantic oscillation , climate change , environmental science , radiative forcing , forcing (mathematics) , tropical cyclone , global warming , tropical atlantic , oceanography , geology
The power of Atlantic tropical cyclones is rising rather dramatically and the increase is correlated with an increase in the late summer/early fall sea surface temperature over the North Atlantic. A debate concerns the nature of these increases with some studies attributing them to a natural climate fluctuation, known as the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), and others suggesting climate change related to anthropogenic increases in radiative forcing from greenhouse‐gases. Here tests for causality using the global mean near‐surface air temperature (GT) and Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) records during the Atlantic hurricane season are applied. Results show that GT is useful in predicting Atlantic SST, but not the other way around. Thus GT “causes” SST providing additional evidence in support of the climate change hypothesis. Results have serious implications for life and property throughout the Caribbean, Mexico, and portions of the United States.