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The Climate Change that May Suppress Tropical Cyclone Strength

Paper Reviewed
Huang, P., Lin, I.-I., Chou, C. and Huang, R.-H. 2015. Change in ocean subsurface environment to suppress tropical cyclone intensification under global warming. Nature Communications 6: 10.1038/ncomms8188.

Introducing their recent study of tropical cyclones (TCs), Huang et al. (2015) indicate that "changes in surface and subsurface ocean conditions can both influence a TC's intensification." And in light of the fact that minimal exploration of potential ramifications of subsurface ocean changes has been conducted, they "take the plunge," so to speak, and investigate subsurface ocean environmental changes that have been projected by 22 state-of-the-art climate models. And what did this significant pioneering effort reveal?

This undertaking, in the words of the four researchers, suggests the existence of "a suppressive effect of subsurface oceans on the intensification of future TCs," because, as they continue to write, "under global warming, the subsurface vertical temperature profile can be sharpened in important TC regions, which may contribute to a stronger ocean coupling (cooling) effect during the intensification of future TCs." And as evidence that this state of affairs has in fact come to pass, Lin and Chan (2015) report that "during the recent decade, typhoon destructive potential has decreased considerably (by ~35%)." And that observation, it should be recognized, occurred during a time in which climate alarmists claim temperatures were unprecedented -- at least within the context of the past millennium or more.

Reference
Lin, I.-I. and Chan, J.C.L. 2015. Recent decrease in typhoon destructive potential and global warming implications. Nature Communications 6: 10.1038/ncomms8182.

Posted 24 September 2015