John Abraham pointing to a blackboard.

John Abraham on Record Ocean Surface Temperatures and Their Impact on Weather Patterns

John Abraham, engineering professor at the University of St. Thomas, recently spoke with NBC News about a temporary El Niño pattern expected to contribute to more intense storm systems and exacerbate the impacts of climate change.

From the story:

Daily sea surface temperatures last month reached highs not seen in at least four decades of recordkeeping, according to a data visualization from the University of Maine’s Climate Reanalyzer.

“As surface temperatures rise, that adds more fuel to the atmosphere and that fuel is heat and moisture,” said John Abraham, a professor and program director in the School of Engineering at the University of St. Thomas who studies ocean temperatures. “It intensifies weather patterns. It means the weather becomes more extreme.”