Tropical Storm Introduction And Monitoring, Measuring And Prediction

Question 1

Tropical storm

Answer 1

A violent rotating storm which occurs at the mid-latitudes (i.e. the tropics!)

Question 2

Tropical storm formation

Answer 2

1. Strong upward movement of air draws water vapour up from the warm ocean surface
2. The evaporated air cools as it rises and condenses to form towering thunderstorm clouds
3. Condensing air releases energy which powers the storm and draws up more water
4. Several small thunderstorms combine to form a giant spinning storm, surface winds exceed 120km/h and a tropical storm is born
5. Storm develops an eye where air rapidly descends, most intense (strongest winds) are found in the eyeball on the edge of the eye
6. Storm is carried across the warm ocean it continually gathers strength and energy
7. Upon landfall the storm’s energy supply is cut off / friction with the land slows and weakens it, if the storm reaches warm water again it may regain some strength again

Question 3

Coriolanus effect

Answer 3

Caused by the Coriolis force which deflects objects within a rotating system

Question 4

Coriolanus effect - northern hemisphere

Answer 4

Objects deflect to the right

Question 5

Coriolanus effect - southern hemisphere

Answer 5

Objects deflect to the left

Question 6

Oceans

Answer 6

Tropical storms get their moisture and energy from oceans and there are clear links with the water cycle

Question 7

Temperature

Answer 7

27 degrees

Question 8

Atmospheric instability

Answer 8

Form in regions of intense atmospheric instability where warm air is being forced to rise

Question 9

Wind direction

Answer 9

. Uniform wind direction at all levels
. Winds from different directions at altitude prevent a tropical storm from attaining height and intensity
. The vertical development is effectively sheared off by the multidirectional wind

Question 10

Tracking hurricanes by air

Answer 10

. A group of pilots and scientists, Hurricane Hunters, regularly soar through storms that threaten the US
. Aircraft from the U.S. Air Force + the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) gauge wind speeds, barometric pressure, rainfall and snow
. They release sensors, dropsondes, which fall through the storm and send back data in real time to improve forecasting models
. The Global Hawk drone is equipped with microwave and radar instruments
. NASA sends there to investigate the influence of weather patterns

Question 11

Tracking hurricanes by satellites

Answer 11

. Weather satellites watch hurricanes from orbit, snapping visible images and measuring weather patterns with radar and infrared sensors.
. They can track temperatures inside a storm, cloud heights, rain, snow and wind speed
. The TRMM satellite provides CT scans inside hurricanes
. Forecasters know that storms with hot towers, rain clouds that reach the top of the troposphere, are more likely to intensify in the next 24 hours

Question 12

Supercomputers in tracking hurricanes

Answer 12

. Thanks to better storm models and more powerful computers the NOAA can release five-day forecasts of tropical storms and hurricanes
. The weather models improved with new understanding of global ocean and atmospheric patterns that influence budding storms

Question 13

Saffir-Simpson scale

Answer 13

. 1 to 5 rating based only on a hurricane’s maximum sustained wind speed
. Scale does not take into account other potentially deadly hazards such as storm surge, rainfall flooding, and tornadoes
. Estimates potential property damage
. Easy for people to understand