When a hurricane hits land, the destruction can be visible for years or even decades. Less obvious, but also powerful, is the effect hurricanes have on the oceans.
A new study by researchers at the University of Miami and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has found that hurricanes push heat deeper into the ocean than scientists realized, boosting long-term ocean warming.
The researchers analyzed data from more than 4,000 underwater probes that measure temperature and salinity in different depths of the ocean. They found that hurricanes increased the heat content of the upper 2,000 meters of the ocean by about 0.15% per year from 1993 to 2019.
This may seem like a small amount, but it is equivalent to about 5.6 zettajoules of energy per year, or more than 150 times the annual electricity consumption of the United States.
The study also showed that hurricanes caused more heat to be stored in deeper layers of the ocean, below 200 meters, where it can remain for longer periods of time and contribute to global sea level rise.
The researchers said that their findings have implications for understanding and predicting the effects of climate change on the oceans and hurricanes. As the oceans warm, they can fuel more intense and frequent hurricanes, which in turn can push more heat into the ocean, creating a feedback loop that could accelerate ocean warming and sea level rise.
The study was published in the journal Nature Communications on June 23, 2023.
