tropical storms

Question 1

conditions needed for formation of storms

Answer 1

TEMP- ocean temps have to be 26-27 degree and at least 50 m deep
AIR PRESSURE- where high and low pressure meets (convergence) so the warm air rises and clouds form
CORIOLIS EFFECT- earths rotation causes storm to spin. there’s no Coriolis effect at the equator

Question 2

steps for storms to form

Answer 2

1- warm moist air rises leaving an area of low pressure causing warm air to move into low pressure
2-the warm air cools condensing into thunderstorm clouds
3-the whole system is spinning due to the Coriolis effect
4-addition of warm air causes storms to spin faster and generate higher wind speeds
5- eye of the storm= extremely low pressure
6- the eyeball is the most powerful. as the warm rapidly rises it draws in more warm air
7- when it reaches the coast the pressure causes large amount of sea water to be taken in and released as a storm surge
8-when the storm reaches land it no longer has a supply of energy the eye collapses

Question 3

spatial distribution

Answer 3

• they occur between 5-20 degrees of both tropics (a linear belt)
• no storms can form from 0-5 degrees of the equator
• clusters of frequent storms found along SE Asia and east pacific

Question 4

magnitude

Answer 4

• measured on the safari-simpson scale (1-5) based off wind speed. category 5-157 mph wind and catastrophic damage

Question 5

frequency

Answer 5

-in the northern hemisphere they are from June to November and the Southern Hemisphere from November to April

Question 6

regularity

Answer 6

tropical storms are irregular as their path doesn’t follow a set route

Question 7

predictability

Answer 7

storms form away from land so satellite tracking of clouds and movement can be tracked. the closer a storm is, the easier its to predict. its also easier to predict storm surges based of the pressure and intensity

Question 8

prediction-RESPONSES

Answer 8

depends upon the state of monitoring and warning systems. the USA monitor storms which have the potential to become hurricanes by using weather aircrafts. this can also be used to predict their path
in places where theres a lack of communications theres insufficient evacuation plans

Question 9

prevention- RESPONSES

Answer 9

cant be prevented

Question 10

protection-RESPONSES

Answer 10

having evacuation plans and emergency services
hurricane drills
land use planning to identify areas at greatest risk of storm surges
sea walls or houses built on stilts to help reduce flood risk
houses can be retrofitted (adjusting the building to make it more resist to wind)

Question 11

preparedness- RESPONSES

Answer 11

awareness through education of what to do, evacuation plans and storm warning systems and satellite tracking

Question 12

impacts of storms(what they produce)

Answer 12

• WIND= often exceeds 150km/hr. high winds cause structural damage to roads and buildings. they cause debris to be thrown which puts humans at risk
• HEAVY RAINFALL=increased precipitation causes flooding and landslides
• STORM SURGES= high sea levels are caused by the wind. they cause lots of damage on low lying areas. they cause the majority of deaths and cause soil to become contaminated with sea water

Question 13

primary effects

Answer 13

ENVIRO- eroded beaches, destroyed coastal habitats
ECONOMIC-buisnesses destroyed, agriculture damaged
SOCIAL- drowning and deaths
POLITICAL -government buildings destroyed

Question 14

secondary effects

Answer 14

ENVIRO-salt water contamination, animals displaced
SOCIAL-homelessness, polluted water and food shortages
ECONOMIC- decline from income being destroyed
POLITICAL- issues paying back aid