Just beginning to abate after slamming the East coast, is the rather timidly named hurricane “Sandy.” It is also known as “Frankenstorm”, perhaps more appropriately, for its monstrous power. But is it also an outcome of man’s folly such as in Mary Shelley’s original cautionary tale? The monster dubbed “Frankenstorm”, carries its destructive power in the huge storm surge it has brought. Scientists have predicted for some time that warming global temperatures will continue to increase the strength and severity of such storms. Still, until all the data is in, as is the nature of investigative science, this specific storm cannot be directly attributed just yet to man made (AGW ) global warming. Most researchers do agree climate change, especially warmer ocean, is a likely factor, however.
It is also called Frankenstorm because of the hybrid nature of both northern arctic influences and warm, tumultuous jet stream influences. It is a rare coincidence that a high pressure “block” falls directly in the path of a low pressure system such as what has formed off the coast of Iceland. Whereas most storms veer off toward the ocean, these colliding pressure systems surged Frankenstorm toward the most populous areas of the United States East coast. It is already being called an event of historic proportions.
It can be confusing to tease apart the differences between weather and climate. The way to understand it, fundamentally, is to know that climate is ongoing and predictable, where as weather changes daily. Weather can be assessed with a glance out the window, and changes with the seasons. When people are confused by the term “warming” even as they see more snow and frigid storms, they are not looking at the fact that warmer air leads to heavier snow, and more rain and floods. Dryer air is usually less destructive in temperate areas, but obviously more destructive in drought or wild fire plagued regions.
Climatologists do agree that it is more moist and warm ocean air which adds a great deal of energy to any storm or hurricane. Exacerbated by these events are rising oceans. With more coastal barriers underwater, there is definitely going to be fewer protections in the path of coastal surges. For example, one element adding to the continuing loss of natural and artificial barriers such as reefs, outlying islands and sanctuaries, and all important mangrove forests in the gulf, are human development and rising sea levels. In times past natural off coast barriers served to halt the brunt of destructive surges such as Katrina in New Orleans.
