Tropical cyclones in a warmer climate

Nick Woods

Tropical cyclones are ranked among the most powerful natural phenomena, affecting not only the tropics, but the entire ocean. Research has shown that a portion of the poleward transport of heat by the oceans (known as the meridional overturning circulation) could be caused by tropical cyclones. As the atmospheric temperatures continue to rise, these storms may undergo changes including the strength of storms and the number of storms in a given year. In this seminar, I will discuss some of the past and current research being conducted on how the intensity and frequency of tropical cyclones will change in a warmer climate, and how this may impact the meridional overturning circulation.