NOAA Miami Regional Library

ABSTRATCT: "The Atlantic undergoes large multi-decadal variations in major
hurricanefrequency.  These changes are important because it has been established
that major hurricanes (~20 percent of named storms) account for about 80-85 percent of the US’s normalized (population, inflation, wealth)hurricane destruction.  These multi-decadal changes in major hurricane activity are hypothesized to result from multi-decadal variations in Atlantic Thermohaline Circulation (THC) or the AMO as it is sometimes referred to.  This oscillation is hypothesized to be primarily driven by Atlantic salinity variations – the so called salt oscillation.  It will be shown how Atlantic SSTs, SLPAs, trade winds and 200 mb zonal winds, and Atlantic surface salinity patterns respond in a systematic manner
 to these THC variations.
 The large increase in Atlantic basin major hurricane frequency of the last 13 years is due to the  THC becoming much stronger than it was during the period of 1970-1994.  This increase should  not be interpreted as having anything to do with atmospheric CO2 increases."

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