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Intro to Physical Geography > Hurricanes and Severe Weather > Flashcards

Hurricanes and Severe Weather Flashcards

1
Q

What are Tropical Cyclones?

A

Cyclones are large low pressure centers, with numerous thunderstorms, heavy rainfall and winds

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2
Q

Where do Tropical Cyclones get their energy from?

A

They get their energy from the release of latent heat (from evap) during condensation, occurs over warm tropical oceans

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3
Q

When do Tropical Cyclones form in North Atlantic and why then?

A

Late summer, early fall; warmest water temps

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4
Q

Where do all Tropical Cyclones originate?

A

All Tropical cyclones originate in tropics.

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5
Q

Where do North Atlantic tropical storms begin?

A

All Tropical cyclones originate in tropics. North Atlantic tropical storms begin off the coast of Africa

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6
Q

What is the growth cycle of North Atlantic Hurricanes?

A
  1. Tropical wave (low pressure off coast of africa)
  2. Tropical disturbance
  3. Tropical depression (74 mph winds. It has an eye)
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7
Q

What is a hurricane?

A

A hurricane is a tropical storm with wind speeds that have reached a constant of 74 miles per hour or more.

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8
Q

What are the different categories of hurricanes according to the Saffir/ Simpson Hurricane Scale?

A 
Category 1 - winds: 74-95mph. 
Category 2 - winds: 96-110mph
Category 3 - winds: 111-130mph
Category 4 - winds: 131-155mph
Category 5 - winds: 156+ mph
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9
Q

Strong tropical storms are called Hurricanes, Cyclones, and Typhoons depending on where you are in world. Where in the world are they called these?

A

North America, Central America - Hurricanes

East Coast of Africa, Madagascar, Australia - Cyclones

Southeast Asia, India, China, Japan, Korea - Typhoons

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10
Q

What are the patterns of precipitation in a tropical cyclone?

A

Look at page 10!

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11
Q

What does the eye of a hurricane have?

A

The eye has sinking air and calm conditions! (higher pressure)

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12
Q

What are the strongest winds in a hurricane (other than the eye)?

A

The top right side of a hurricane has the strongest winds.

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13
Q

What are the major risks associated w/ hurricanes?

A
  • High winds
  • Heavy rainfall
  • Storm surge
  • Flooding
  • Tornadoes
  • Rip tides
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14
Q

Which of the major risks associated with hurricane cases the most deaths?

A

Storm surge is the cause of about 90% of hurricane deaths!

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15
Q

What do high winds do to water in hurricanes?

A

High winds causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea level

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16
Q

What is the most deadly natural disaster in the US? How many deaths?

A

Hurricane of 1900, Galveston, TX. Deaths 6000–8000!

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17
Q

What do hurricanes do to coastal landscapes?

A

Change landscapes dramatically

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18
Q

What happened to Harreras Island, NC, September 20, 2003?

A

Hurricane Isabel slammed into the Outer Banks of North Carolina washing out NC Highway 12 and breaching the island.

19
Q

Why are there no hurricanes at the equator?

A

..,

20
Q

Why so many cyclones in western Pacific?

A

…

21
Q

Why are there no tropical cyclones in SW Pacific and SW Atlantic?

A

….

22
Q

What is the first recorded South Atlantic Hurricane?

A

Hurricane Catarina (2004)

23
Q

How many thunderstorms occur every day around the globe?

A

At any given time >2000 thunderstorms are occurring around the globe

24
Q

What are the key ingredients to produce a thunderstorm?

A
  1. Warm, moist air near surface

2. A lifting mechanism, often convection or frontal: given an initial push, air will continue to rise

25
Q

What is an updraft?

A

…

26
Q

What is a downdraft?

A

….

27
Q

What causes hail formation?

A

Strong updraft goes to an area with many supercooled water droplets. This causes the growth of hailstones. A downdraft then causes the hail to precipitate.

28
Q

What is lightning?

A

Lightning is an atmospheric discharge of electricity, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms.

29
Q

Where does 90% of lightning strikes occur? Why?

A

90% of all lightning strikes occur over land due to enhanced convection

30
Q

What is thunder? Where is virtually unknown at?

A

The sudden increase in pressure and temperature from lightning produces rapid expansion of the air surrounding and within a bolt of lightning creates a sonic shock wave.

Thunderstorms are virtually unknown at high latitudes >60º

31
Q

Where are thunderstorms most prevalent in the US??

A

The midwest

32
Q

What are supercells?

A

Supercell: large storms with strong rotating updrafts, which often burst into stratosphere

33
Q

How do supercells form?

A

Slide 26

34
Q

Where do most tornadoes originate?

A

Most tornadoes originate from the base of a thunderhead

35
Q

What is a tornado?

A

A tornado is a violently rotating column of air in contact with and extending between a cloud (often a thunderstorm cloud) and the surface of the earth.

36
Q

How are tornadoes measured in the Enhanced Fujita Tornado Intensity Scale?

A

Based on observed damage NOT wind speed (are estimates!)

37
Q

What are the levels of the Enhanced Fujita Scale?

A

Slide 28

38
Q

What percent of tornadoes fall into the 166-200+ mph range?

A

Less than 1%

39
Q

What states have the highest geography of Tornadoes?

A

Midwest (Look at slide 30)

40
Q

What percent of tornadoes are found in North America? Why?

A

N. Am has 90% of all tornadoes. This is due to uninhibited interaction of air masses! cP and mT available&No E-W mountains to stop clash!

41
Q

Which month has the most tornadoes?

A

May. June is a close second

42
Q

What are some examples of tornadoes?

A

Waterspouts, dustdevils, microburst

43
Q

What are Waterspouts?

A

Small Tornadoes over water: Waterspouts are favored by high temps, high humidity, and still air

44
Q

What are microbursts?

A

Microburst–Destructive “straight-line”winds up to 160 mph related to thunderstorm downdrafts. Lasts only few minutes. Deadly to small aircraft. Strong downdraft hits ground and spreads out at high speeds (<2 mi, larger are macrobursts)

Intro to Physical Geography (27 decks)

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