Formation of Large Scale Tropical Disturbances (cyclone, hurricane, typhoon)

Question 1

1) warm air

Answer 1

• warm, moist air rises, leaves area of low pressure below
• causes warm air from surrounding areas of high pressure to move into low pressure zone, and rise too
• means warm air is constantly rising and accumulating in atmosphere

Question 2

2) what happens to warm air

Answer 2

when warm air rises, it cools, condensing into thunderstorm clouds

Question 3

3) spins

Answer 3

• whole system spinning as coriolis effect.
• in southern hemi, spins clockwise, in northern hemi, antilock

Question 4

4) energy

Answer 4

• constant addition of energy from warm air causes storm to spin faster, generate higher wind speeds.
• diff in pressure between low pressure centre and higher pressure surroundings = air sucked in to centre, enhances high winds
• at 39mph, classified as tropical storm

Question 5

5) eye

Answer 5

• eye of storm is in centre
• 30 mile wide area, extremely low pressure (15% lower pressure than areas outside storm)
• cool, dry air descends in the eye, causing weather to be quite calm and cloud free
• more intense the storm, clearer the eye

Question 6

6) speed

Answer 6

• surrounding eye is eyewall (most intense and powerful area of storm)
• warm, moist air rapidly rises here, v high winds and torrential rain
• when winds reach 74mph, becomes hurricane, cyclone, typhoon

Question 7

7) movement

Answer 7

• when tropical storm reaches coast, low pressure high winds = large amount of sea water taken into system, released as high wave called storm surge

Question 8

8) land

Answer 8

• when reaches land, doesnt have energy supply anymore (warm, moist air from the sea)
• eye eventually collapses. heavy rain persists for days