The warming of our oceans is radically changing how our atmosphere blows and storms. From ozone-hole-triggering polar vortices to equatorial forming hurricanes, everything seems to be spinning up with the extra energy provided by the warmer oceans. 

Last month, Hurricane Ida made landfall as a category 4 hurricane and devastated parts of the Louisiana coastal wetlands. Along with the loss of trees, buildings, and other structures, there were also a number of oil pipelines that sprung leaks and had the potential to cause permanent damage to the ecosystems along the Gulf Coast. To help spot problem spots, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, flew a special kind of radar system, developed for the Delta-X project, to look for the smooth spots oil made in the normally more turbulent waters. 

Delta-X was originally put together to study two areas of wetlands, one that is losing land to erosion and another that is accumulating sediment and filling in, and the goal of the mission is to learn how to forecast which areas of river deltas are likely to gain and lose land as sea levels change. While it is horrifying to realize just how much oil gets spilled during massive storms, I’m glad to know that scientific tools designed to study normal processes can be used to save us from problems of our own making.

As the seasons turn, this year we can expect more polar vortices, and this ozone hole is going to get a lot of attention as the mid-latitudes bundle up and the polar regions enjoy unwanted warmth. This is your regular reminder that while global temperatures may only be increasing fractions of a degree a year, that average change hides that some areas are getting radically colder and others warmer. Order your sweaters now; we’re going to need them.

More Information

NASA JPL press release