In The Guardian article “How Climate Change Triggers Earthquakes, Tsunamis, and Volcanoes,” published October 16, 2016, author Bill McGuire asserts that the increased frequency of hurricanes will generate more seismic activity. McGuire begins by discussing hurricanes and the apparent severity of this hurricane season, eventually claiming that 2016 was not an especially active hurricane season, but rather it appeared as such due to the increased intensities of the storms. Later, he expresses that warmer sea water causes the severe storms, likely leading to “an escalation in the frequency of bigger storm systems, which tend to be the most destructive” (McGuire). However, McGuire argues that while hurricanes and tropical cyclones tend to be at the forefront of attention when considering climate change, climate change also relates to…show more content… For instance, McGuire describes how the Pavlof volcano in Alaska reacts to changes in sea level, as a rise in sea level may apply pressure that squeezes magma out. To emphasize his point, McGuire identifies past examples during which a rise in temperature influenced the behavior of earthquakes and volcanoes— about 20,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age. Already, McGuire asserts, these trends are becoming evident, with more intense heatwaves triggering landslides in New Zealand and less ice cover causing seismic activity in Alaska. Additionally, McGuire claims that the increased activity would initially be most prominent in Greenland, and while that threat may not appear to be of the utmost importance, the consequences could be catastrophic; 8,200 years ago, an earthquake caused a landslide that then “sent a tsunami racing across the North Atlantic.” To conclude his piece, McGuire illustrates how people should consider the impact of more intense hurricanes, as not only does this lead to more damage, but the hurricanes could also lead to seismic
