2017 Essay Contest Finalist

Entry by Ryder Robins

Humans and Their Effects on Hurricanes

The 2017 hurricane season has been the first year on record to ever have two category 4 or higher hurricanes make landfall in the US in one year, (Carter, M.) and some scientists believe that this can be linked to human activity (Nuccitelli, D.).

It’s important to understand Geoscience while studying hurricanes. By understanding Geoscience, we understand how the earth heats and cools and this plays a major role in the creation of hurricanes. Hurricanes form when an area of warm water heats the air above it, causing that air to rise. This creates an area of low pressure. The higher pressure around this area pushes new air in, which heats up and also rises. This flow of air causes the clouds to swirl. If the storm is in the northern hemisphere, it rotates counterclockwise, if it’s in the southern hemisphere, it rotates clockwise. When the winds of this swirl exceed 74 miles per hour, it becomes a Hurricane. Hurricanes continue to grow and survive as long as they’re over warm water. (N. (n.d.).)

Humans affect this system because when people release greenhouse gases and pollutants into the air, these pollutants act like a blanket, causing the earth to heat up (Greenhouse effect). When people pollute, and the earth heats, water temperatures around the world can also heat. Hotter temperatures would lead to more frequent and more intense hurricanes (Nuccitelli, D.) due to the process a hurricane takes to form and the circumstances it needs to thrive.

By knowing the effects of human activity on hurricanes, we can reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses being released into the air and prevent global temperatures from rising. If we can prevent global temperatures from rising, we can reduce the chances of more extreme hurricanes. This can save many lives, save recovery money, and prevent future destruction to homes and buildings.

Works Cited

Greenhouse effect | atmospheric science | Britannica.com. (n.d.). Retrieved fromhttps://www.britannica.com/science/greenhouse-effect

Carter, M. (2017, September 18). News - Hurricane Season 2017 Facts and Figures (So Far) - The Weather Network. Retrieved from https://www.theweathernetwork.com/us/news/articles/atlantic-hurricane-season-2017-facts-and-figures-so-far/86361

N. (n.d.). How do Hurricanes Form? Retrieved September 26, 2017, from https://pmm.nasa.gov/education/articles/how-do-hurricanes-form

Nuccitelli, D. (2013, May 1). New Research Finds Humans Causing More Strong Hurricanes. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from https://thinkprogress.org/new-research-finds-humans-causing-more-strong-hurricanes-1178d263f10f