How Do Hurricanes Form?
There are plenty of resources here and I hope that you enjoy this lens as much as I enjoyed creating it!
Hurricanes : The Facts
Learn the basics
Category: File - :Hurricane_Isabel_from_ISS.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Hurricane Isabel (2003) as seen from orbit during Expedition 7 of the International Space Station. The eye, eyewall and surrounding rainbands characteristic of tropical cyclones are clearly visible in this view from space.A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones feed on heat released when moist air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor contained in the moist air. They are fueled by a different heat mechanism than other cyclonic windstorms such as nor'easters, European windstorms, and polar lows, leading to their classification as "warm core" storm systems. Tropical cyclones originate in the doldrums near the equator, about 10° away from it.
The term "tropical" refers to both the geographic origin of these systems, which form almost exclusively in tropical regions of the globe, and their formation in maritime tropical air masses. The term "cyclone" refers to such storms' cyclonic nature, with counterclockwise rotation in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise rotation in the Southern Hemisphere. Depending on its location and strength, a tropical cyclone is referred to by names such as hurricane, typhoon, tropical storm, cyclonic storm, tropical depression, and simply cyclone.
While tropical cyclones can produce extremely powerful winds and torrential rain, they are also able to produce high waves and damaging storm surge as well as spawning tornadoes. They develop over large bodies of warm water, and lose their strength if they move over land. This is why coastal regions can receive significant damage from a tropical cyclone, while inland regions are relatively safe from receiving strong winds. Heavy rains, however, can produce significant flooding inland, and storm surges can produce extensive coastal flooding up to from the coastline. Although their effects on human populations can be devastating, tropical cyclones can also relieve drought conditions. They also carry heat and energy away from the tropics and transport it toward temperate latitudes, which makes them an important part of the global atmospheric circulation mechanism. As a result, tropical cyclones help to maintain equilibrium in the Earth's troposphere, and to maintain a relatively stable and warm temperature worldwide.
Many tropical cyclones develop when the atmospheric conditions around a weak disturbance in the atmosphere are favorable. The background environment is modulated by climatological cycles and patterns such as the Madden-Julian oscillation, El Niño-Southern Oscillation, and the Atlantic Multi-Decadal Mode. Others form when other types of cyclones acquire tropical characteristics. Tropical systems are then moved by steering winds in the troposphere; if the conditions remain favorable, the tropical disturbance intensifies, and can even develop an eye. On the other end of the spectrum, if the conditions around the system deteriorate or the tropical cyclone makes landfall, the system weakens and eventually dissipates. It is not possible to artificially induce the dissipation of these systems with current technology.
Emergency Preparedness and Response
Learn how to prepare before the storm
- CDC - Disasters - Hurricanes:Prepare Before the Storm
- Emergency Preparedness and Response
Divine Wind: The History and Science of Hurricanes (Hardcover)
Divine Wind: The History and Science of Hurricanes
Amazon Price: $37.12 (as of 12/09/2009)![]()
Named for the evil Caribbean deity Huracan, hurricanes are presented in verse, art, history, and science in this well-designed album by MIT professor Emanuel. His discussions encompass hurricane formation and dissolution, the uncertainty in predicting a storm's behavior, digressions into historical catastrophes, and the risk inherent in building along tropical coastlines. With exceptionally clear prose, Emanuel explains the atmospheric forces that restrict hurricanes to tropical latitudes and upends popular misconceptions about their frequency, noting that "the problem for research scientists is not why hurricanes develop, but why they hardly happen." Noting the genesis of many Atlantic hurricanes in easterly waves flowing off the Sahara Desert, Emanuel delves into the array of physical factors that impinge on the strength and direction of a tempest, points reinforced by a wealth of diagrams, satellite imagery, and a majestic photo-essay about flying into a hurricane. The science is reinforced by evocative artwork of storm-tossed ships and ravaged landscapes. A gripping popular treatment of peril, that will have great resonance in light of recent disasters.
Interesting Hurricane Links
You'll enjoy these
- National Weather Center
- Complete information on Hurricanes and Tropical Storms, including all advisories , watches and warnings.
- Fema
- Describes what to do before, during, and after a hurricane.
- Fema Hurricane Info For Kids
- Lists information, names, quizzes, and activities about hurricanes for kids
Hurricane Books
Great reads here
Hurricane KATRINA from satellite
Incredible!
Hurricane Katrina Items on Ebay
Always worth a look
You never know what you might find!
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