Hurricane Ike entering the Gulf of Mexico in 2008. The storm is over Cuba and south of Florida.
NASA
Scientists Study Hurricanes of the Future
News story originally written on October 8, 2008
The Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea are often in the path of hurricanes These violent storms are hazardous for people living near the coast. Often people need to evacuate during a storm to stay safe.
Recent hurricanes in this area, like Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, have had a big impact. And there’s evidence that global warming may cause more hurricanes, or that storms will get stronger. So it’s very important for scientists to learn more about how hurricanes might change because of global warming.
Scientists are now taking a close look at this area with weather and climate models. They are trying to figure out if changes in the number of hurricanes each year and changes in how powerful these storms are is likely to change over the next few decades. They also want to know whether climate change will affect the path of hurricanes and whether the powerful storms have an impact on global climate.
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