|     |  

More information on this item:

Document Title: Frequency of Atlantic storms (DI01899) Illustration by Steve Deyo
Description: A recent climate study indicates that hurricanes and tropical storms became more frequent in the Atlantic Ocean during three distinct periods over the last century, as shown in this graphic. The first part of the 20th century (in white) was relatively quiet, with an annual average of 6 observed hurricanes and tropical storms. The annual average increased to 10 after 1930, and then reached 15 from 1995 to 2005 (in darkest shading). This graphic shows both the total number each year (blue line) and the nine-year running average, calculated from four years back through four years ahead of a given year. Called a running mean, this method smoothes out year-to-year variability to reveal the long-term trend. The research associates the increasing storms with rising sea-surface temperatures.
For more information: Frequency of Atlantic hurricanes doubled over last century; climate change suspected
Creditline: copyright University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Keywords: Atlantic Ocean,Atlantic storms,climate change,DI01899,hurricanes,Steve Deyo,tropical storms,news release
Filename: DI01899.tif