EESA09H3 Lecture : Polar Lows , Firestorms, and Duststorms.docx
Document Summary
Cyclones forming over the open sea in polar regions. Sometimes called arctic hurricanes due to well defined eye . Poleward of the polar front, the division between cold, polar air and warm, tropical air, storms can form. Polar lows are reffered to : the division between , warm tropical air and cold polar air (mt and cp) similarities to hurricanes, they have been called polar hurricanes or arctic hurricanes. They form when cold arctic air forms over sea or ice or continental land surface, moves over to much warmer ocean water. There is a strong temperature gradient between the air mass , and the ocean current beneath (around 20 to 40 degrees) , and this difference is greater than what is seen in a midlatitude cyclone. So, the air mass receives substantial heating from the ocean current below, and this is the. Major driver or influence for the storm to occur.