3.3 In A Spin

Question 1

How does a tropical storm form?

Answer 1

1. Air is heated above the surface of warm tropical oceans. The warm air rises rapidly under the low-pressure conditions.
2. The rising air draws up more air and large volumes of moisture from the ocean, causing strong winds.
3. The Coriolis effect causes the air to spin upwards around a calm central eye of the storm
4. As the air rises, it cools and condenses to form large, towering cumulonimbus clouds, which generate torrential rainfall. The heat given off when the air cools powers the tropical storm
5. Cold air sinks in the eye, therefore there is no cloud, so it is drier and much calmer
6. The tropical storm travels across the ocean in the prevailing wind
7. When the tropical storm meets land it is no longer fuelled by the source of moisture and heat from the ocean, so it loses power and weakens

Question 2

prevailing wind def

Answer 2

the wind direction that occurs most frequently in a particular place

Question 3

why does a tropical storm spin?

Answer 3

The Coriolis effect bends and spins the warm rising air

Question 4

In which direction do tropical storms spin?

Answer 4

• Hurricanes in the northern hemisphere bends to the right, which causes clouds to swirl anticlockwise
• cyclones in the southern hemisphere swirl in a clockwise direction

Question 5

average lifespan of a tropical storm

Answer 5

1-2 weeks

Question 6

which direction do tropical storms travel in

Answer 6

• from east to west due to the direction in which the Earth spins
• as they pass over land, friction slows them down
• as they lose energy, they change direction
• tropical storms in northern hemisphere track north
• in the southern hemisphere they track south