"Think of the atmosphere as a huge energy reservoir that grows with each increase in warmth. As temperatures go up, the atmosphere can hold more moisture -about 7 percent more for every 1°C of warming . The ocean, with its vast reach, releases vapor into the wind. This moist air, packed with potential energy, moves over human-made landscapes-cities covered in asphalt and concrete, which absorb and radiate heat, forming urban "heat islands.""
"When this moisture-rich air moves over our heat islands, it expands further, gathering even more energy. Hotter air, eager for moisture, draws water from the land -leaving the soil drier, plants stressed, and forests tinder-dry. The result is twofold: a higher risk of forest fires, as the landscape becomes more flammable, and an atmosphere primed for tempest-ready to unleash torrential rain with little warning."
Climate warming increases atmospheric moisture by about 7 percent per 1°C, adding energy and vapor from the ocean into the air. Urban asphalt and concrete create heat islands that further heat and expand moist air. Hotter air draws moisture from soils and vegetation, leaving landscapes drier and more flammable. Drier landscapes raise forest-fire risk while the atmosphere becomes primed to produce intense, short-duration storms that dump large volumes of rain. The concurrent escalation of drought and extreme precipitation generates overlapping risks of wildfire and catastrophic flooding. Reconnecting with the land and redesigning urban systems for water resilience can reduce vulnerability.
Read at Earth911
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