LOS ANGELES, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Human-induced increases in greenhouse gas concentrations may raise ocean temperatures in hurricane affected areas of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, U.S. scientists said on Monday.

    A study conducted by atmospheric scientists from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, and other institutions has shown that the rising of sea surface temperatures of the tropical Atlantic and Pacific oceans over the last century is linked to human activities.

    The study, based on 22 different computer models of the climate system, was published online in the Sept. 11 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

    Hurricanes are complex phenomena that are influenced by a variety of physical factors, such as sea surface temperatures, wind shear, water vapor and atmospheric stability, according to the study.

    While the increasing temperatures in the Atlantic and Pacific hurricane regions are not the sole determinant of hurricane intensity, they are likely to be one of the most significant factors, noted the researchers.

    Earlier studies have uncovered evidence of the link between rising ocean temperatures and increases in hurricane intensity. This has raised concerns about the causes of the rising temperatures, particularly in parts of the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans where hurricanes and other tropical cyclones form.

    Previous efforts to understand the causes of change in sea surface temperatures have focused on temperature changes, averaging over very large ocean areas, such as the entire Atlanticor Pacific basins, but the new work specifically targets changes of sea surface temperatures in much smaller hurricane formation regions.