Also, recall that storms gain intensity by absorbing energy from the oceans. As the climate changes and the oceans absorb energy, storms are able to absorb more energy and become even more violent than before. This is one key reason why models of climate change predict that storms, like those shown below, will become more violent and more damaging.
Your Turn
Explain why climate change is expected to increase the intensity of storms forming over the ocean.
As the climate changes due to human activity, the atmosphere is warming. The energy gained by the atmosphere is, in turn, being absorbed by the ocean as heat. Therefore, the ocean is gaining energy. This energy can then be transferred to storms, allowing the storms to become more intense and violent.