1 Climate change may not be responsible for the recent
skyrocketing cost of natural disasters, but it is very likely that
it will impact future catastrophes. Climate models provide a
4 glimpse of the future, and while they do not agree on all of the
details, most models predict a few general trends. According to
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, an increase of
7 greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will probably boost
temperatures over most land surfaces, though the exact change
will vary regionally. More uncertain — but possible —
10 outcomes of an increase in global temperatures include
increased risk of drought and increased intensity of storms,
including tropical cyclones with higher wind speeds, a wetter
13 Asian monsoon, and, possibly, more intense mid-latitude
storms.
Internet: <http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov> (adapted).
The word “skyrocketing” (l.2) means
