Storms

Front 1

What are three characteristics of hurricanes?

Back 1

1) Winds over 150 mph
2) Can temporalily raise sea level 20ft from surges
3) Heavy rains can cause flooding.

Front 2

How does a hurricane develop?

Back 2

1) Tropical Disturbance-low pressure zone draws in thunderstorms with weak surface winds
2) Tropical Depression-surface winds become stronger and flow more efficently around the storm
3) Central core acts like a chimney, sending warm moist air up to the stratosphere, rising air cools, reaches its dew point, water vapor condenses and latent heat is released
4) Heat surrounds air causing stronger updrafts which increase the rate of inflow
5) Tropical Storm- converging winds continue to spiral upward winds increase to over 40 mph
6) Hurricane- winds are consistently above 74 mph

Front 3

What are the requirements for a hurricane?

Back 3

1) Seawater should be at least 80F in the upper 200ft of the ocean
2) Atmosphere must cool fast enough with height to make it unstable
3) Mid-troposphere must contain enought moisture to sustain thunderstoms
4) Must occur at least 500 km from the equator, coriolis force must be present so that low pressure can be maintained
5) Must be pre-exisiting near-surface convergence of rotating moist air
6) Upper-level winds should be weak and blowing in the same direction the storm is moving