Climate Change Detection and Attribution: Letting Go of the Null?

摘要

When Hurricane Sandy hit the New Jersey shore at the end of October 2012, news headlines abounded that questioned the connection to climate change. Sandy was the second-costliest hurricane in U.S. history, topped only by Hurricane Katrina (more-recent events, such as Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, may change that line-up). When such events occur, people understandably wonder: What is the connection to climate change? Has climate change made the occurrence of events such as Hurricane Sandy more likely, and will such events become even more frequent or more severe in the future?