Hurricanes Flashcards
What happens in hurricanes due to pressure gradient force?
Winds blow into center of hurricane
What are hurricanes?
Large ocean storms of intense low pressure and high winds
What causes hurricanes to rotate in a counterclockwise direction?
Coriolos effect
Where the the term hurricane apply?
Atlantic Ocean and Eastern Pacific Ocean
What are hurricanes called in the Western pacific? In the Indian Ocean?
Western Pacific- typhoons
Indian- Tropical Cyclone
T/F the lower the pressure, the higher the rotational speed.
True
T/F hurricanes rotate clockwise south of the equator.
True
What four conditions need to occur in order to have a hurricane?
- Warm ocean water 80 degree F or more
- Preexisting thunderstorm activity,
- High relative humidity
- favorable winds in the upper troposphere to allow strong circulation
How do most hurricanes begin?
Most begin as Tropical waves which are unorganized thunderstorms over the ocean
What happens after tropical waves advance?
They become organized and begin to rotate resulting in tropical depressions
What happens of winds in tropical depressions increase beyond 38mph?
They turn into tropical storms
What is a tropical storm reclassified as if it’s winds reach over 74mph?
Hurricanes
What 4 factors can weaken Hurricanes and Tropical storms?
- They encounter cool water
- They make landfall
- They encounter dry air
- They are sheared by unfavorable upper atmospheric winds
When is the Early Season in the Atlantic for hurricanes?
June 1st through July 31st most storms form in Caribbean & Gulf of Mexico
What is the Cape Verde Season in the Atlantic for hurricanes?
August 1st to September 30th tropical waves form near the west coast of Africa and slowly develop as they move west
What is the Late Season in the Atlantic for hurricanes?
October 1st to November 30th storms form in the southern Caribbean
What is the Saffir Sampson Scale?
Scale of 1 to 5 categorization of hurricanes. Based in part on sustained rotational wind speed. Category 3 and above are considered major storms
What are some problems with the Saffir Simpson Scale?
- Doesn’t account for speed of hurricane.
2. Does not account for rainfall generated by storm.
What are the specifications of the Saffir Simpson Scale for Categories 1 & 2?
Category 1: Wind 74- 95 mph very dangerous, some damage
Category 2: Wind 96-110mph extremely dangerous, will cause extensive damage
What are Categories 3, 4, & 5 on the Saffir Simpson hurricane wind scale?
Category 3: 111-129 mph devastating damage will occur
Category 4:130-156 mph devastating damage will occur
Category 5: over 156 mph catastrophic damage will occur
Hurricane Storm surge height is greatly affected by the strength of the storm, but what other factors are involved?
Shape of the coastline, landscape of the continental shelf, high tide vs. low tide(time of day), spring tide vs. neap tide (time of month)
