Tropical Storms Flashcards
What are tropical storms called in North America?
Hurricanes
What are tropical storms called in East Asia?
Typhoons
What are tropical storms called in Central Asia?
Cyclones
What are tropical storms called in Australia?
Willy-willies
What continent has the highest percentage of tropical storms?
Australia with 20%
What are the characteristics of tropical storms?
Intense low pressure weather systems measuring 200-700km in diameter
What is the origin of tropical storms?
They begin with an area of low pressure from surface heating into which warm air is drawn in a spiralling manner
What is the Coriolis effect?
Air is deflected towards the right in the Northern hemisphere and air is deflected towards the left in the Southern hemisphere because the earth rotates on its axis
List 3 things that needs to there for tropical storms to form?
27 degrees celsius water
Located between 5 degrees and 20 degrees north and south of the equator
Coriolis effect
What creates low pressure at the surface?
Very warm air from the storm combining with the moist ocean surface and it begins to rise
Why do wind speeds increase?
When more air is sucked into the low-pressure centre as the storm moved over the ocean
What are tropical storms made up of?
An eye of calm winds and low pressure surrounded by a spinning vortex of high winds and heavy rain storms
How are tropical storms measured?
Saffir-Simpson scale
What is the Saffir-Simpson scale?
Based solely upon speed 1-5
List 4 things that the impacts of tropical storms will depend on?
Intensity of the storm
Preparations made
Physical geography of the area
What is a storm surge?
High sea levels result when the wind driven waves pile up and the ocean heaves upwards because of the lower atmospheric pressure
How can these storm surges have a devastating effect on coastal areas?
Soil can be contaminated by the sea water
