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Planet Green
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Hurricane frequency and severity are much-debated topics among scientists in the weather community. Many believe that hurricane intensity is not, in fact, on the rise, but that the data aren't accurately reflecting the situation. Technology in meteorology has advanced so much over the past 40 years that it's likely that many earlier storms simply weren't detected or recorded. Others believe that the intensity of storms changes naturally over time, and we haven't had the right technology in place long enough to track the cycles -- if they're even trackable.
However, many scientists do believe that there's an ongoing increase in hurricane intensity -- especially in certain regions like the North Atlantic -- and one of the most accepted theories as to why is that it stems largely from global warming caused by humans.
As the planet's thermostat inches incrementally higher each year, the ramifications affect all the Earth's ecosystems, including its oceans. Warmer sea temperatures (on the surface and far below) are suspected of increasing hurricane intensity to fiercer levels, and in data compiled from the 1970s on, researchers do see a pattern when comparing rising sea temperatures and more intense hurricanes [sources: Emanuel].
Since 2004 and 2005, both extreme hurricane years, several important studies have been conducted that swayed even more scientists to the side of global warming as a cause for increased hurricane intensity. In those two years alone, four of the 10 strongest hurricanes ever registered occurred [source: Bals]. Scientists who subscribe to the global warming theory generally agree that the trend of intense hurricanes will continue to worsen over time. However, some still argue that even the most recent data are skewed, and the hurricane debate continues.
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