Effects of Natural Disasters on Evolution/Climate Change

To connect climate change with current events, there have been a lot of publications recently about Hurricane Sandy and the effect that climate change will have on all natural disasters, especially future hurricanes:

Sandy was a hybrid storm – a winter storm and a hurricane combination. Climate scientists do not currently understand how these hybrid storms will respond to climate change and global warming – but it is important that they figure it out quickly.

Current data and models indicate that a once-in-100-year hurricane would bring a 5.3 foot storm tide to the Battery, a 500-year hurricane would bring a 10.2 foot storm tide to the Battery. The storm tide that was caused by Sandy is that of a 1,000-year hurricane according to weather models.

Four climate models were used to compare the effects of simulated storms at the end of the 20th century with those conditions projected for the end of this century. The study found that two leading factors contributing to the increase in surge flooding is rising sea level and changes in hurricanes. Melting ice and the expansion of seawater as it warms is gradually increasing sea levels. Higher sea levels mean higher storm tides. The models predict a rise of 3.3 feet by the end of the century. When both sea level and the future of severe storms are taken into account, the models project much more frequent extreme surge flooding in the New York City area.

Since the storm hit an area typically not affected by hurricanes, it brought some much needed attention to why this storm occurred and how environmental issues could lead to more horrifying disasters.

Model of the perfect set-up for a Hybrid Storm

Here is some more information about Hybrid Storms

The Effects of "Man-Made" Disasters

• Fukushima Nuclear Accident (albeit not a natural disaster, but a disaster)
  

The biological impacts of the Fukushima nuclear accident on the Pale Grass Blue Butterfly explored the effects of natural disasters on evolution and climate change. The butterfly was chosen because of its ability to be a great environmental indicator. The butterfly has impressive wing color patterns that are very sensitive to environmental changes. Due to the massive release of radioactive materials to the environment after the collapse of the power plant, many physiological and genetic damage has been observed in the offspring of the Z. Maha butterfly. The results of the study were impressive. The study found that the abnormal traits observed in the F1 generation were inherited by the F2 generation and that is highly probably that these characteristics were caused by genetic damage introduce to the parent cells due to the Fukushima accident. At this time, the Z. Maha population is not responding well to the radiation. The population in the Fukushima area is deteriorating physiologically and genetically at a rapid pace. One of the greatest concerns is that the population is not adapting fast enough to the environmental changes.

• BP oil spill and the long lasting consequences on Marine Life in the Gulf of Mexico

Click for full-size image

To read more about these issues regarding the oil spill, check out:
Two Years After BP Oil Spill, Marine Life in the Gulf of Mexico Still Reels or
BP Will Plead Guilty and Pay Over $4 Billion

Natural Disasters and the Economy
We also looked at how natural disasters can hurt the economy on the Economic Effects page. This page links to an article in Rolling Stone Magazine about how due to increases in temperature and salinity, Australia has been experiencing more extreme weather and natural disasters Despite the fact that natural disasters cause immense damage, countries are still worried about the costs of implementing changes to combat thermal warming. Everyone seems to have the attitude that we should save money and let others worry when extreme effects from thermal warming occur later.