---
attributes: ~
caption: 'Hurricanes illustrate the links among precipitation, discharge and nutrient loading to coastal waters. Hurricanes bring intense rainfall to coastal regions, and ensuing runoff leads to blooms of algae. These blooms contribute to dead zone formation after they die and decompose. Photo above shows Pamlico Sound, North Carolina, after Hurricane Floyd. Note light green area off the coast, which is new algae growth. The graph on the left shows a steep drop in salinity of ocean water due to the large influx of freshwater from rain after a series of hurricanes. Red arrows indicate Hurricanes Dennis, Floyd, and Irene, which hit sequentially during the 1999 hurricane season. The graph on the right shows a steep rise in the amount of surface chlorophyll after these hurricanes, largely due to increased algae growth. (Figure source: (top) NASA SeaWiFS; (bottom) Paerl et al. 2003<tbib>5819afc3-b206-4954-bb40-720b27092350</tbib>).'
chapter:
  description: ~
  display_name: 'Chapter 8: Ecosystems, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Services'
  doi: 10.7930/J0TD9V7H
  identifier: ecosystems
  number: 8
  report_identifier: nca3
  sort_key: 80
  title: 'Ecosystems, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Services'
  url: http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/sectors/ecosystems
chapter_identifier: ecosystems
cited_by: []
contributors: []
create_dt: 2014-03-18T11:43:00
description: 'Hurricanes illustrate the links among precipitation, discharge and nutrient loading to coastal waters. Hurricanes bring intense rainfall to coastal regions, and ensuing runoff leads to blooms of algae. These blooms contribute to dead zone formation after they die and decompose. Photo above shows Pamlico Sound, North Carolina, after Hurricane Floyd. Note light green area off the coast, which is new algae growth. The graph on the left shows a steep drop in salinity of ocean water due to the large influx of freshwater from rain after a series of hurricanes. Red arrows indicate Hurricanes Dennis, Floyd, and Irene, which hit sequentially during the 1999 hurricane season. The graph on the right shows a steep rise in the amount of surface chlorophyll after these hurricanes, largely due to increased algae growth. (Figure source: (top) NASA SeaWiFS; (bottom) Paerl et al. 2003<tbib>5819afc3-b206-4954-bb40-720b27092350</tbib>).'
display_name: '8.2: The Aftermath of Hurricanes'
files:
  - display_name: ECO_hurricane_aftermath_V4.png
    file: f2/b8/04a72ab72fed9981cb7f7fa910e1/ECO_hurricane_aftermath_V4.png
    href: http://data.globalchange.gov/assets/f2/b8/04a72ab72fed9981cb7f7fa910e1/ECO_hurricane_aftermath_V4.png
    identifier: a87142b0-bb28-408f-b30a-d781dcc53941
    landing_page: ~
    location: ~
    mime_type: image/png
    sha1: 6c068c0feea35a9d9162ff32dcffb8ac289b0062
    size: 955718
    thumbnail: f2/b8/04a72ab72fed9981cb7f7fa910e1/.thumb-a87142b0-bb28-408f-b30a-d781dcc53941.png
    thumbnail_href: http://data.globalchange.gov/assets/f2/b8/04a72ab72fed9981cb7f7fa910e1/.thumb-a87142b0-bb28-408f-b30a-d781dcc53941.png
    type: file
    uri: /file/a87142b0-bb28-408f-b30a-d781dcc53941
    url: http://data.globalchange.gov/assets/f2/b8/04a72ab72fed9981cb7f7fa910e1/ECO_hurricane_aftermath_V4.png
href: http://52.38.26.42:8080/report/nca3/chapter/ecosystems/figure/the-aftermath-of-hurricanes.yaml
identifier: the-aftermath-of-hurricanes
images:
  - attributes: ~
    create_dt: 2014-03-18T11:43:00
    description: ~
    identifier: e2a642bf-46c0-4103-add4-1b05a5c044f4
    lat_max: ~
    lat_min: ~
    lon_max: ~
    lon_min: ~
    position: ~
    submission_dt: ~
    time_end: 1998-09-30T23:59:59
    time_start: 1998-09-01T00:00:00
    title: 'The Aftermath of Hurricanes - Surface Chlorophyll'
    url: ~
    usage_limits: ~
  - attributes: ~
    create_dt: 2014-03-18T11:43:00
    description: ~
    identifier: 25454bfd-2070-4a9e-91be-7245af0529f9
    lat_max: ~
    lat_min: ~
    lon_max: ~
    lon_min: ~
    position: ~
    submission_dt: ~
    time_end: 1999-09-23T23:59:59
    time_start: 1999-09-23T00:00:00
    title: 'The Aftermath of Hurricanes - top'
    url: ~
    usage_limits: ~
  - attributes: ~
    create_dt: 2014-03-18T11:43:00
    description: ~
    identifier: e0d0caed-1a1e-4f25-8c28-16852f39c8b1
    lat_max: ~
    lat_min: ~
    lon_max: ~
    lon_min: ~
    position: ~
    submission_dt: ~
    time_end: 1998-09-30T23:59:59
    time_start: 1998-09-01T00:00:00
    title: 'The Aftermath of Hurricanes - Surface Salinity'
    url: ~
    usage_limits: ~
kindred_figures: []
lat_max: ~
lat_min: ~
lon_max: ~
lon_min: ~
ordinal: 2
parents: []
references:
  - href: http://52.38.26.42:8080/reference/5819afc3-b206-4954-bb40-720b27092350.yaml
    uri: /reference/5819afc3-b206-4954-bb40-720b27092350
report:
  display_name: 'Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment'
report_identifier: nca3
source_citation: '(top) NASA SeaWiFS; (bottom) Paerl et al. 2003<tbib>5819afc3-b206-4954-bb40-720b27092350</tbib>'
submission_dt: ~
time_end: ~
time_start: ~
title: The Aftermath of Hurricanes
type: figure
uri: /report/nca3/chapter/ecosystems/figure/the-aftermath-of-hurricanes
url: http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/sectors/ecosystems/graphics/aftermath-hurricanes
usage_limits: Copyright protected. Obtain permission from the original figure source.