I. Frequently Asked Questions about Global Warming and Hurricanes

• Main Author: Kerry Emanuel
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2006
• Subjects: Indian; Pacific; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.583.5106; http://ruby.fgcu.edu/courses/twimberley/EnviroPhilo/Anthro.pdf

1.) Q: Is global warming causing more hurricanes? A: No. The global, annual frequency of tropical cyclones (the generic, meteorological term for the storm that is called a tropical storm or hurricane in the Atlantic region) is about 90, plus or minus 10. There is no indication whatsoever of a long-term trend in this number. 2.) Q: But I’ve noticed that there seem to have been lots more hurricanes, beginning around 1995. A: You probably live in North America, Central America, or Europe and are talking about hurricanes in the North Atlantic. (It’s important to remember that only 11 % of all hurricanes occur in the Atlantic, the rest are in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.) There has been a