Is Climate Change the Cause of Hurricane Matthew?

Isis A. Ruiz- Hurtado

University of Texas at El Paso

IS CLIMATE CHANGE THE CAUSE FOR HURRICANE MATTHEW?

Abstract
This research paper explores the different theories of climate change and the research that has
been collected. The paper begins by exploring the Climate Change term, how it originated, and
how humanity has contributed to it. Next, it defines hurricane, and how these tropical storms are
formed. It goes on by listing where hurricanes are more prone to occur, and the seasons they tend
to appear in. One of this regions, is the Atlantic Ocean, where last month Hurricane Matthew
occurred. The research paper explores this recent phenomenon, and the destruction it left behind
its path. It concludes with possible solutions to the Climate Change problem in order to stop so
many hurricanes from happening.
Keywords: climate change, hurricanes, destruction.

IS CLIMATE CHANGE THE CAUSE FOR HURRICANE MATTHEW?

Is Climate Change for Hurricane Matthew?

Every year coastal communities, and the areas that surround them, are faced with the
adversity or adversities of facing the destruction hurricanes bring. With time these communities
have learned to prepare for whats coming, resulting in less damages (from the economic to the
life-threatening). However, our planet is changing, our ecosystems are not as stable as they were
a 100 years ago, causing our climate to be in a constant a transformation, resulting in unexpected
catastrophes. A month ago, the Bahamas, Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Colombia,
and the United States where struck with one of the most powerful and destructive hurricanes
ever, Hurricane Matthew. Behind its path it left loss, grief, and misery. Many people attributed
this phenomenon to the annual hurricanes that hit these regions, however, analyzing the proof
shown by various scientists, should Hurricane Matthew be accredited to Climate Change?
What is Climate Change?
The Department of Ecology of the State of Washington defines Climate Change as the
patterns of temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind, and seasons, while NASA defines it as the
generally prevailing weather conditions of a regions temperature, air pressure, humidity, winds,
and sunshine throughout the year, but they both agree it is the average weather. Now, when
these patterns are disrupted and the Earths temperature is increased (specifically ten times faster
than at any other time in the past 65 million years according to the Stanford Woods Institute for
the Environment), climate change occurs. Increases of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous
oxide in the earths atmosphere throw the planets highly sensitive ecosystem off-balance.

IS CLIMATE CHANGE THE CAUSE FOR HURRICANE MATTHEW?

The Origin of Climate Change

The first person to have a theory about why the Earth should not be as warm as it is at its
distance from the sun was Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier in 1824. It can be said this theory was
the first steps toward discovering what we call today greenhouse effect (Mason, 2013). Forty
years had to pass for Irish physicist John Tyndall to make another two important discoveries:
first, that water-vapor was an important heat-trapping agent, and second, that carbon dioxide
was very good at trapping heat (A brief history, 2013). In 1896 Swedish scientist, Svante
Arrhenius reasoned that an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would
result in enhancing the natural greenhouse effect (Mason, 2013). By the beginning of the 20th
century another Swedish scientist, Knut Angstrom, discovered the first traces of damage to the
atmosphere caused by contamination, and 38 years later records showed that temperatures all
over the world had risen over the previous century (A brief history, 2013). The scientist who
made this discovery, Guy Callendar, also made the discovery that CO2 concentrations had also
increased, and that maybe this was the cause of the warming. Today, this theory is dismissed by
meteorologists. According to the BBC, in 1957 the American oceanographer Roger Revelle
demonstrated that seawater did not absorb the extra CO2 entering the atmosphere, contradicting
other scientists theories. Finally, by 1965, the US Presidents Advisory Committee panel warns
that the greenhouse effect is a matter of real concern (A brief history, 2013) and in 1972, the
first UN environment conference is celebrated, and the United Nations Environment Programme
is created. Eighteen years later the First Assessment Report showed that temperatures had risen
by 0.3- 0.6C over the last century, a consequence of the humans emissions, and in 1995 the

IS CLIMATE CHANGE THE CAUSE FOR HURRICANE MATTHEW?

Second Assessment Report concluded that humans were and are responsible for climate change
(Mason, 2013).
Causes for Hurricanes
A hurricane, or more scientifically known as tropical cyclone, is an intense rotating
system that forms over warm, tropical waters in the late summer, and early fall (Atmosphere,
2012). A hurricane forms when the air from areas with high air pressure gets mixed in with the
air from low pressure areas (NASA, 2016). Then afterwards, that air that got mixed becomes a
combination of warm and humid which then proceeds to rise. Meanwhile, the air that surrounds
the warm, and humid air, begins to swirl around it and starts to take its place (NASA, 2016).
This causes the warm air to cool off, resulting in the stormy, rainy clouds. With these two factors
combined whole system of clouds and wind begins to spin and grow, nourished by the ocean's
heat and water evaporating from the surface (NASA, 2016).
Hurricanes are categorized by the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (in a range of 1
to 5) based on the wind speed the hurricane is causing. All hurricanes categorized above
Category 3 or higher are considered major hurricanes due to the significant loss of lives and
damages (NHC, 2016).

Hurricane Areas, And Their Seasons.

IS CLIMATE CHANGE THE CAUSE FOR HURRICANE MATTHEW?

The National Hurricane Center states that hurricane season (in the Atlantic) starts around
June 1st and ends on the last day of November (the 30th), while on the Eastern Pacific hurricane
season runs from May 15th until November 30th . Each hurricane that appears is given a name in
the alphabetical order they appear, ea. First hurricane of the season is named Andrew, the second
would be Bart and so on. It is important to mention that no two hurricanes have ever been called
the same (at least on the same hemisphere). Hurricanes are more prone to happen in the Atlantic
area (the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico), being the reason why inly there
are called hurricanes and not tropical cyclones. This year, 2016, The Weather Company
forecasted fourteen hurricanes, three of which were major, and from all of those all but one
where true. It was a new record, taking into account that there was a 30-year historical average of
12 storms per year, with also three major ones.
Hurricane Matthew
The life of Hurricane Matthew began thanks to a tropical wave pushed off from the
African coast (near the Windward Islands) on September 28th of this year. It started its path in the
Caribbean by first becoming Category 5 three days after its creation with a strength of 160 mph
winds (Weather, 2016). It first made a stop in Haiti, where it left 12, 345 without a home and
mourning. Next it made a landfall on eastern Cuba on October 4th, but it had slowed down to a
Category 4. From there, Hurricane Matthew went to the Bahamas on October 5th and 6th as a
Category 3 and 4 hurricane. Finally, the hurricane got close to the United States, leaving a path
of destruction in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina, and finally touching ground on October
8th in the southeast of South Carolina but as a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds (Weather,
2016).
Conclusion

IS CLIMATE CHANGE THE CAUSE FOR HURRICANE MATTHEW?

Analyzing all the information collected about Climate Change and the amount of damage
caused by Hurricane Matthew it is clear, that Climate Change is one of the main causes of such a
phenomenon. Hurricanes have been occurring for a long time, but it has not been until recently,
that they have started to be more destructive and powerful than before. The most obvious
solution to slow (not prevent, since they are part of nature) hurricanes its by slowing Climate
Change. How can we, as a society slow it? Easy, by taking care of the planet that has given so
much to us. Instead of taking the car, take the bus, instead of taking a 10-minute shower, try to
make it a 5- minute shower. Dont litter, and learn how to recycle. Small actions that can cause a
large impact to our planet in the long run.

References

IS CLIMATE CHANGE THE CAUSE FOR HURRICANE MATTHEW?

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IS CLIMATE CHANGE THE CAUSE FOR HURRICANE MATTHEW?