Contrasting the Weather in the Tropics to the Weather at Middle Latitudes - Essay Example

The eye generally ranges from 10 to 65 km across, shrinking in diameter as the hurricane intensifies and winds strengthen. The passage of the hurricane eye is followed by heavy rains and ferocious winds blowing from the opposite direction.

4. What three conditions are required for a tropical cyclone to form?

Answer: Relatively high sea-surface temperatures, adequate Coriolis Effect, and weak winds aloft are the three necessary conditions for a tropical cyclone to form.

5. Why does a hurricane weaken when the system tracks from ocean to land?

Answer: A hurricane over land is no longer in contact with its energy source, i.e. warm ocean water. Additionally, the frictional resistance offered by the rougher land surface slows the wind and shifts the wind direction toward the low-pressure center of the system causing the storm to fill and weaken. The system may still produce tornadoes after making landfall, partially due to strong wind shear between the surface and aloft.

Chapter 12, Critical Thinking Questions

7. What role is played by barrier islands in the hurricane threat to the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts?

Answer: a barrier island is an elongated narrow accumulation of sand oriented parallel to the coast and separated from the mainland by a lagoon, estuary or bay. There is an acute hurricane danger for the people living on or visiting the nearly 300 barrier islands that fringe portions of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, from Maine to Texas. Padre Island in Texas is the longest in the U.S. measuring more than 180 km. Sea waves dissipate their energy by shifting the sands and modifying the shape of the island that gradually migrates toward the mainland. These islands face an open ocean and absorb the brunt of ocean storms. A number of cities including Atlantic City, Miami Beach, NJ, FL and Virginia Beach are built entirely upon these islands. In case of a Hurricane, evacuation becomes critical there as well as other coastal areas. Read More