Natural Disasters and their Unnatural Causes

By Sophia Krause

November 24, 2020

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2020 Weather & Climate Recap

With a seemingly unstoppable increase in global warming over the past several years, 2020 is on track to become the second-hottest year on record.

The Northern Hemisphere alone has had one of the warmest winters on record. The Great Lakes never froze over, carbon-spewing fires plagued the Siberian Arctic, and the California fire season began months ahead of schedule.

The Great Lakes shared between Canada and the United States did not freeze over during the 2019/2020 winter, and only had about 19.5% ice cover, the lowest amount ever recorded. In the Siberian Arctic, warm temperatures caused permafrost to melt, and resulted in carbon-spewing fires to spread across the tundra. In California, and all across the West Coast of the States, the fire season began months ahead of schedule, and caused irreparable damage.

Natural Disasters in 2020

The year 2020 has been no stranger to anomalies of all kinds, and natural disasters have certainly been no exception.

As previously mentioned, the extended wildfire season in California caused devastation across the West Coast, and burned over four million acres of land. In Oregon alone, over 500,000 people were forced to be evacuated due to the devastating fires. On the other side of the globe, back in January, bushfires in Australia burned over 25 million acres of land. Central Africa faced severe flooding during 2020, and over 1.7 million people were affected across several countries. In India and Bangladesh, Cyclone Amphan, a category 5 hurricane, took the lives of 118 people. Currently, Typhoon Ulysses is battering the Philippines, destroying homes and killing dozens of people.

Why have there been so many devastating natural disasters this year? What is causing them?

A helicopter prepares to drop water at a wildfire in Yucaipa, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020

Via: ABC News

Linking Weather Disasters to Climate Change

Scientists have been able to draw many connections between climate change and weather disasters, particularly how climate change can increase the likelihood and intensity of these disasters.

Sea Level Rise & Coastal Flooding

Climate change has increased coastal flooding dramatically over the years, as rising global temperatures cause polar ice sheets to melt.

The melting of polar ice sheets has raised the global average sea level between 8-9 inches since the beginning of the industrial era. Rising sea levels increase the likelihood of dangerous flooding when disasters such as tropical cyclones or hurricanes occur; local factors such as regional ocean currents, erosion, and settling of the ground can further exacerbate these changes. In the US alone, flooding during high tides has doubled in the past 20 years, a clear indication of the effects of rising sea levels. According to the Washington Post, "The higher the baseline sea level, the easier it is for a simple high tide to send water surging into communities." (2020). This sobering revelation further amplifies the need to protect polar ice sheets.

“The higher the baseline sea level, the easier it is for a simple high tide to send water surging into communities.”

Higher Ocean Temperatures & Hurricane Frequency

The warmer the water temperatures, the more heat energy is available and the higher the potential for tropical cyclones to develop.

There is little correlation between rising temperatures and increased number of hurricanes. However, there is a strong correlation between rising temperatures and more intense and/or damaging hurricanes. It has been proven that higher ocean temperatures increases the likelihood of hurricanes intensifying more rapidly. Due to higher moisture capacity, warmer ocean temperatures lead to faster wind speeds and more rainfall, thus increasing the likelihood of hurricanes becoming more damaging.

Embankments have been washed away in Bangladesh following Cyclone Amphan, May 2020

Via: The BBC

Warmer Atmospheres & Wetter Hurricanes / Dryer Lands

Warmer atmospheres due to global warming can lead to dryer vegetation, and therefore more devastating wildfires. On the other hand, warmer air can also lead to more devastating hurricanes. Warmer air allows for wetter and more violent hurricanes, as a result of the Clausius-Clapeyron Equation. Warmer atmospheres can also remove more moisture from vegetation and soils, which causes dryer land and increased risk of devastating wildfires

Clausius-Clapeyron Equation: For every 1°C of warming, the atmosphere can hold 7% more moisture

Greenhouse Gas Emissions & Tropical Cyclones

Greenhouse Gas Emissions are well-known to be the cause of global warming, but they are also likely to be the cause of the devastating natural disasters we’ve seen in recent years.

Rainfall rates during tropical cyclones are likely to increase due to anthropogenic warming and increased atmospheric moisture; intensity of tropical cyclones will likely increase by 1-10% should global temperatures warm by 2°C. Due to anthropogenic warming, the global proportion of tropical cyclones that reach Category 4/5 are likely to increase over the course of the 21st century.

How do we prevent these worsening natural disasters?

The most effective way to prevent these worsening natural disasters is to prevent the worsening of climate change, which is a lot easier said than done.

The best way to start improving your impact upon the planet is to start at home, within your own life. Click here to access the NRDC's list of 12 ways to begin limiting your impact on the planet today.

“If natural disasters become exponentially worse with every degree of warming, the future will become exponentially safer with every degree of warming humanity manages to avert.” (Washington Post, 2020)

Click here for climate change resources and links to provide aid to those affected by Typhoon Ulysses. Document provided by GenNow Researchers and updated regularly.

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