Ocean Disaster
Hurricane a Natural Ocean Disaster
The ocean has been shaping our land as we know it for millions of years. It is a beautiful part of our Earth, nonetheless it has the greatest influence on some of the deadliest natural disasters to us and these disasters alter our shorelines and lives as we know it. Hurricanes are among the deadliest natural disasters known, those that live near the Gulf or eastern coast know of and prepare for the damages it can cause. Many have heard of the devastation hurricanes have inflected, but do we know how they form and the process in which they become so powerful?
According to National Hurricane Center (2014) a hurricane is defined as, "A tropical cyclone in which the maximum sustained surface wind (using the U.S. 1-minute average) is 64 kt (74 mph or 119 km/hr) or more”. Hurricanes are born 5°-15° latitude north and south of the equator, in the tropics. For a Hurricane to form and endure there needs to be very specific conditions; weak upper level winds, thunderstorms in order to moisten the troposphere, warm sea surface temperatures, capping inversion that are not too strong and persistent low level convergence (Haby, n.d.). Now before a tropical system is considered a Hurricane it goes through different stages; tropical disturbance, tropical depression and tropical storm. As the storm advances through the stages it gains intensity and develops different features. The first stage begins with a system of clouds, thunderstorms and showers that develop in the tropics. Easterly waves form, these waves have a period of about 3 or 4 days and a wavelength of 2000 to 2500 km (1200 to 1500 mi) (Landsea, 2014). These waves move from east to west with the tropical easterly winds. The second stage is tropical depression, this is when the disturbance develops into a circular motion, moving counter clockwise. These winds begin to blow around a center of low pressure in the Northern hemisphere. The final stage before the storm is classified as a
The ocean has been shaping our land as we know it for millions of years. It is a beautiful part of our Earth, nonetheless it has the greatest influence on some of the deadliest natural disasters to us and these disasters alter our shorelines and lives as we know it. Hurricanes are among the deadliest natural disasters known, those that live near the Gulf or eastern coast know of and prepare for the damages it can cause. Many have heard of the devastation hurricanes have inflected, but do we know how they form and the process in which they become so powerful?
According to National Hurricane Center (2014) a hurricane is defined as, "A tropical cyclone in which the maximum sustained surface wind (using the U.S. 1-minute average) is 64 kt (74 mph or 119 km/hr) or more”. Hurricanes are born 5°-15° latitude north and south of the equator, in the tropics. For a Hurricane to form and endure there needs to be very specific conditions; weak upper level winds, thunderstorms in order to moisten the troposphere, warm sea surface temperatures, capping inversion that are not too strong and persistent low level convergence (Haby, n.d.). Now before a tropical system is considered a Hurricane it goes through different stages; tropical disturbance, tropical depression and tropical storm. As the storm advances through the stages it gains intensity and develops different features. The first stage begins with a system of clouds, thunderstorms and showers that develop in the tropics. Easterly waves form, these waves have a period of about 3 or 4 days and a wavelength of 2000 to 2500 km (1200 to 1500 mi) (Landsea, 2014). These waves move from east to west with the tropical easterly winds. The second stage is tropical depression, this is when the disturbance develops into a circular motion, moving counter clockwise. These winds begin to blow around a center of low pressure in the Northern hemisphere. The final stage before the storm is classified as a
References: Haby, J. (n.d.). How Does a Hurricane Form. Retrieved from http://www.theweatherprediction.com/habyhints2/416/ Landsea, C. (2014). What is an Easterly Wave?. Retrieved from http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/A4.html National Center for Atmospheric Research. (2014). Hurricanes, Typhoons, Cyclones. Retrieved from https://www2.ucar.edu/news/backgrounders/hurricanes-typhoons-cyclones#4 National Hurricane Center. (2014). Glossary of NHC Terms. Retrieved from http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutgloss.shtml NOAA/ National Weather Service. (2013). Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Retrieved from http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php