GEOG 1112 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Tropical Wave, Coriolis Force, Nimbostratus Cloud

• School: University of Georgia
• Department: Geography
• Course: GEOG 1112
• Professor: Stan Hopkins

Document Summary

These systems require warm, moist air which yields great instability and lift. This is similar to thunderstorms, but a greater amount of warm, moist air is needed to develop these larger systems. * thus they must form over warm ocean waters with temp > 27c (81f) this can occur outside tropical latitudes, but only over warm water ocean currents. * the systems uplift is initiated by an easterly wave or area of disturbance, often associated with the trade winds along or near the itcz. The need for sufficient coriolis force to initiate rotation means they must form away from the equator. This along, with the sea surface t s requirements, is why formation commonly occurs between 5 - 20 latitude. A hurricane thus will also not cross the equator. * the eye wall shows the greatest vertical cloud development, concentration of heavy rain and embedded tornadoes. It is typically this section that causes the most damage.