Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Simulating Impacts of Ice Storms on Forest Ecosystems
Published on: June 30, 2020
Simulated increase of hurricane intensities in a CO2-warmed climate
1Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Post Office Box 308, Princeton, NJ 08542, USA.
Abstract:
Hurricanes can inflict catastrophic property damage and loss of human life. Thus, it is important to determine how the character of these powerful storms could change in response to greenhouse gas-induced global warming. The impact of climate warming on hurricane intensities was investigated with a regional, high-resolution, hurricane prediction model. In a case study, 51 western Pacific storm cases under present-day climate conditions were compared with 51 storm cases under high-CO2 conditions. More idealized experiments were also performed. The large-scale initial conditions were derived from a global climate model. For a sea surface temperature warming of about 2.2 degrees C, the simulations yielded hurricanes that were more intense by 3 to 7 meters per second (5 to 12 percent) for wind speed and 7 to 20 millibars for central surface pressure.
Related Concept Videos
What is Weather?
What is Climate?
Global Climate Change
Precipitation Processes
Hazard Rate
Microbes and Climate Change

