Increased concentrations of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are expected to lead to increased tropical cyclone rainfall and hurricane intensity. What is less well understood is how more traditional types of air pollution, such as aerosols, may affect hurricane activity.
A new study published in Science Advances, "Substantial global influence of anthropogenic aerosols on tropical cyclones over the past 40 years," finds that reductions in air pollution in the United States and Europe have reduced tropical cyclone activity in the Southern Hemisphere, but may have actually increased such activity in the North Atlantic.
Here is the abstract:
