THAT hurricanes are likely to become more powerful as the climate warms is not a matter much debated among researchers. A warmer climate will increase sea-surface temperatures relative to those of the adjacent atmosphere in some regions, leading to more evaporation, more clouds and stronger storms. You might expect this to be reflected in the geological record. But a study just published in Geology by Michael Toomey of the United States Geological Survey suggests, counter-intuitively, that the hurricanes which struck Florida during a cool period 12,000 years ago were more powerful than those during a subsequent time of warmth.
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