Notice counterclockwise motion of hurricane in Northern Hemisphere Notice counterclockwise motion of hurricane in Northern Hemisphere. It is a low pressure system. Tropical Cyclones

Tropical Cyclones

Formation of Tropical Cyclones They form over warm ocean water, getting their heat from the warm water These low pressure disturbances form in the tropics of the N Atlantic, N Pacific, Indian and Western S Pacific The rising warm water vapor condenses, releasing latent heat, strengthening the hurricane - The tropical cyclone breaks up over cold water or land when the energy source disappears Requires ocean/sea water to be 27 degrees Celsius or higher to promote enough evaporation and convective functionality

Tropical cyclone names and places Hurricanes in the eastern Pacific Ocean Rarely occur

Sea Surface Temperatures (SST)

Ocean Currents

Low Pressure Systems

Rare South American Hurricane! What direction of spin is occurring?

Wind Speed Increases Toward Eye Just like this skater spinning. When she pulls her arms in her radius decreases and she spins faster.

Stages of Development Low Pressure Systems 1. Tropical disturbance/depression 2. Tropical Storm 3. Hurricane

Anatomy of a Tropical Cyclone

Notice stronger winds on NE side. Why?

Saffir-Simpson Scale: Measuring tropical cyclones through sustained wind speed, potential damage and the associated storm surge height. Widely used in the Atlantic and Pacific (eastern) to classify the intensity of hurricanes.