GEOG 1400 Lecture 22: weather systems- hurricanes
19 Feb 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Pressure gradients are pretty weak in the tropics: meteorologists plot streamlines (lines drawn parallel to the winds) to find tropical waves. It is not known why certain tropical waves increase in intensity & become cyclones (cyclogenesis: as these weak low pressure systems deepen they begin to assume a rotating cyclonic organization (tropical depression). If the low intensifies more & wind speeds increase >63kmh they become tropical storms. If the fully-formed cyclone has sustained winds >119kmh it is considered to be a category 1. Term used for a tropical cyclone in the atlantic, gulf of mexico & eastern paci c. Called tropical cyclones in the indian ocean, bay of bengal & australia. Develop between 8-15o n & s lat. of the equator. Factors in uencing formation: a warm ocean surface (at least 26. 5oc) They draw their energy from warm tropical water & the latent heat of condensation: an unstable atmosphere.
