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EAS 202: Violent Weather > Hurricanes > Flashcards

Hurricanes Flashcards

1
Q

Historically, what is the most destructive aspect of a hurricane striking a low-lying coastal area?

A

Storm surge

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2
Q

What is the difference between a hurricane and an extratropical cyclone?

A

Hurricanes:

  • have no fronts
  • develop within a uniform warm and humid air mass
  • is a warm-core system
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3
Q

Sustained surface winds in a hurricane are

A

119km/h or higher

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4
Q

Typical weather within the eye of a hurricane consists of

A

Light winds and clear skies

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5
Q

Why do hurricanes typically not form in latitudes over 30 degrees north?

A

Because the surface ocean water is too cold

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6
Q

Why don’t hurricanes form at the equator?

A

There is no Coriolis effect

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7
Q

What source of energy sustains hurricane circulation?

A

Latent heat

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8
Q

When do most northern hurricanes occur?

A

From June through November

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9
Q

At latitude 10 degrees N, Atlantic basin hurricanes generally…

A

Drift slowly to the west

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10
Q

At latitude 10 degrees N, tropical cyclones are steered by the…

A

Northeast trade winds

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11
Q

The central pressure is … in a hurricane than in a typical extratropical cyclone

A

Lower

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12
Q

The eye of a hurricane typically …

A
  • shrinks in diameter as the storm intensifies
  • features subsiding air
  • is surrounded by a ring of cumulonimbus clouds
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13
Q

Hurricane formation requires a sea-surface temperature of at least __ degrees C through a depth of about 60 meters

A

26.5

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14
Q

What ultimately governs the rate of evaporation of seawater?

A

Sea-surface temperature

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15
Q

What forces are operating in a hurricane?

A
  • Coriolis effect
  • Friction
  • Pressure gradient force
  • Centripetal force
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16
Q

What is the minimum latitude where the Coriolis effect is strong enough to sustain hurricane circulation?

A

About 4 degrees

17
Q

Where do hurricanes or tropical storms never occur?

A

The west coast of South Africa

18
Q

Where are some places where hurricanes occur frequently?

A
  • The Indian Ocean east of Madagascar
  • The Arabian Sea
  • The Bay of Bengal
  • The Gulf of Mexico
19
Q

Why don’t hurricanes usually form off the coast of South America?

A

Because of the shear produced by strong winds in the middle and upper troposphere

20
Q

What consequence of hurricanes causes the most fatalities?

A

Coastal and inland flooding

21
Q

What happens to hurricane winds once the system reaches land?

A

It rapidly weakens

22
Q

What happens to surface winds as hurricanes track from the sea to land?

A

They get weaker and shift towards the eye

23
Q

What happens as a hurricane tracks inland?

A
  • Its winds diminish
  • Its pressure rises
  • Rain continues
  • Horizontal pressure gradient weakens
24
Q

What do major hurricanes rate on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Intensity Scale?

A

3 or higher

25
Q

What is the first sign that a hurricane may be developing over tropical seas?

A

The appearance of an organized cluster of cumulonimbus clouds

26
Q

What triggers a tropical disturbance?

A
  • The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)
  • A trough in the westerlies intruding into low latitudes
  • An easterly wave
27
Q

What conditions could inhibit the development of tropical storms and hurricanes over the tropical eastern Atlantic?

A
  • Subsidence of air on the eastern flank of the Bermuda-Azores high
  • Strong vertical wind shear
  • Low vapor pressure in the middle troposphere
  • Unusually low sea-surface temperatures
28
Q

What is the most prudent strategy for residence when a hurricane threatens low-lying coastal areas?

A

-Evacuate to an inland shelter

29
Q

Where is the most hurricane-prone location in the United States?

A

Florida

30
Q

What is the major source of energy in a hurricane?

A

Release of the latent heat of vaporization

31
Q

Where can the highest wind speeds occur in a hurricane?

A

In the eye wall

32
Q

When do hurricanes dissipate?

A
  • When they move over colder ocean water
  • They move over land
  • Surface inflow of air exceeds upper-level outflow of air
33
Q

What is often situated above a hurricane?

A

An anticyclonic air flow

34
Q

What kind of air does a tropical storm or hurricane develop in?

A

Maritime tropical air

35
Q

What does it mean when a hurricane is approaching you from the East and the wind changes from very strong northerly to calm?

A

The eye is overhead and the other half of the storm is yet to come

36
Q

Where do easterly wave originate from?

A

North Africa

EAS 202: Violent Weather (14 decks)

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