Hurricane Sandy was the second massive hurricane that had hit the northeastern states in the past two years. Originally, Sandy was just a tropical storm, but due to the climate change and change of water temperature, it has upgraded into a devastating hurricane. As official claims, global warming is the main reason of why a tropical storm, like Sandy, has transformed into a destructive hurricane. Due to global warming, the ice melting condition in Antartica has been speeding up and causing the sea levels getting higher. As researchers reported, the average sea level now a days has been increased 20% between the year 1992 to 2011. Due to the sea level rises, official claims that this can make storm surges and more destructive. However, ice doesn’t melt on his own, but rather, it’s because of the warm temperate. As the temperature becomes warmer, it’s effecting the sea water to heat up, and this will help fuel the storm, and therefore, turning it into a massive and intense storm- hurricane.
Also, a recent study found the sea level of the Us Atlantic Coast, where cities like New York, Norfolk, and Boston are located, is rising up to four times higher and faster than the global average. On the other hand, reports has claimed that a one meter sea level rise in New York will cause from one incident every century to one incident every three years.
Hurricane Sandy has been into an unusual path causing severe damages in New York and New Jersey. Supposed the storm should be traveling from east to west, but the prevailing wind direction has reversed in mid-latitudes. Dr. Jeff Master has also claim that it is unusual that Hurricane Sandy can hit New Jersey in late October where hurricanes usually hit in Septembers and mid-Septembers due to the weaker of jet stream. At the same time, research has been found that 2012 was the warmest year in the United States, therefore, giving and gaining more chance and power for Hurricane Sandy to occur.
Sources:
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/10/31/1117091/how-does-climate-change-make-hurricanes-like-sandy-more-destructive/
http://news.discovery.com/earth/global-warming/sea-level-rise-endangers-east-coast-120626.htm
http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=2283
http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/29/world/europe/climate-ice-sheets/index.html
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=hurricane-sandy-spins-up-climate-discussion