John Mecklin | July 8, 2015

How can a barely perceptible rise in air temperature lead to more extreme weather? This animated video illustrates how an average temperature rise of .8 degrees Celsius at the Earth’s surface means that the world’s oceans have absorbed additional heat equivalent to having an atomic bomb explode every second of every day for the last 100 years. Warming water equals more evaporation, which means more water vapor in the air. The folks at MinuteEarth show how “basic physics” explains more destructive storms on a warming planet.