Chapter 11 (Hurricanes)

Along many low-lying sections of the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, a 1 ft rise in sea level may equate to as much as __________ ft of inland movement of the beach.

1,000

North Atlantic hurricanes all have an eye diameter of __________.

16-70 km

In major hurricanes with wind speeds greater than __________per hour, a narrow or contracting eyewall may be replaced.

180 km

Sea level rose 1 foot in the 20th century. It is expected to rise again by __________ in the 21st century.

2.0 or more feet

The total energy released by all the tropical cyclones in one season is captured by the __________.

Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) index

Which of the following conditions leads to a prediction for a greater number of named storms in the Atlantic Ocean?

All of these choices are correct.

Which of the following is a rotating, low-pressure weather system with a warm core that generally forms over warm seawater between 5° and 20° latitude and then travels off to deliver its heat to higher latitudes?

All of these choices are correct.

As they approach North America, hurricanes commonly move north on clockwise-curving paths due to the __________.

Coriolis effect

The deadliest hurricane in U.S. history struck __________ in 1900 killing 8,000 people.

Galveston, Texas,

Hurricane __________ (2017) surpassed Hurricane Katrina as the costliest hurricane in U.S. history

Harvey

Hurricane __________ crossed Florida (2017) and expanded more energy than the total energy unleashed in 2013 or 2014 or 2015.

Irma

Which of the following statements about Hurricane Hugo is true?

It was a powerful 1989 hurricane that killed 11 people and caused over $14 billion in damages.

Which of the following locations has the highest return period for hurricanes?

New england

Which of the following locations has the lowest return period for hurricanes?

Outer Banks, nc

Based on the historic record, __________ is month in which a deadly hurricane is most likely to make landfall in the United States.

September

Requirements for a hurricane to develop include all but which of the following?

The storm must be at least 200 km from the equator.

Which of the following best describes the evacuation dilemma?

There are often more people living in coastal cites than can be safely evacuated in less than 72 hours, potentially trapping them in traffic jams when the storm hits.

Since 1979 hurricanes and tropical storms have been given both male and female names. How are these storms named if there are more than 21 named storms in a given year?

They are named after letters in the Greek Alphabet, starting with alpha.

Inside the eye of a well-developed hurricane __________.

air sinks and adiabatically warms

Hurricanes are called major hurricanes if __________.

are classified as category 3 or above on the Saffir-Simpson Scale

In a 10-year period from 2006-20015, the United States was ________ for hurricanes.

below average

Hurricanes rotate in a __________ around a central core in the Northern Hemisphere.

counterclockwise direction

At the top of a hurricane, upper-level air is __________ outside of the eye wall.

diverging

A hurricane moving over ocean water at 21°C (~70°F) would strengthen.

false

A typhoon is more like a tornado than a hurricane.

false

As a hurricane moves farther north, it weakens because the Coriolis effect decreases with distance from the equator.

false

Hurricane centers are colder than their surroundings.

false

Hurricanes often form right on the equator, because the ocean water is warmest there.

false

Hurricanes that move onto land with high temperatures strengthen rapidly.

false

The Fujita Scale describes the magnitude of hurricanes.

false

The development of a hurricane begins with an Arctic disturbance which is a low-pressure zone that draws in a poorly organized cluster of thunderstorms with weak surface winds.

false

The number of people killed by hurricanes in the United States increased in the latter part of the 20 th century.

false

andrew was the most destructive hurricane in U.S. history in terms of both monetary losses and human lives.

false

The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season broke many all-time records, including all but which of the following?

greatest number of deaths in one season

The Saffir-Simpson Scale is used to measure the intensity of __________.

hurricanes

The strongest winds in a hurricane are _________.

in the eye wall

Which of the following was the biggest issue associated with Hurricane Harvey?

inland flooding

The Saffir-Simpson Scale is numbered 1 to 5 with __________ wind speeds.

larger numbers indicating lower pressure and higher

The Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) is a reasonably distinct pattern of alternating times __________.

of colder versus warm water in the North Atlantic Ocean

The danger of (Northern Hemisphere) storm surge is most extreme __________ of a hurricane, due to the forward motion of the storm motion and the direction of rotating winds.

on the front-right side

As a hurricane forms, the air __________.

rises, cools, and releases latent heat, further heating up the hurricane's core

Most deaths in tropical cyclones (hurricanes, typhoons, etc.) are the result of __________.

sea surges

The air in the eye of a hurricane __________, leaving the core clear and cloud-free.

sinks, warms, and absorbs moisture

If you are on the "right-hand side" of the tropical cyclone in the Northern Hemisphere you experience the __________.

speed of the storm body plus the wind speed

The deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history was __________which killed more than 8,000 people.

the Galveston, Texas, hurricane of 1900

A hurricane is defined as a large area of sustained winds greater than 119 km/hr this is the wind speed at which __________.

the center of the storm develops a calm area known as the eye

The main influences on tropical cyclone paths include all but which of the following?

the presence or absence of large cargo ships in their paths

Rank the following in order of increasing strength.

tropical disturbance, tropical depression, tropical storm, and hurricane

A hurricane may develop from a mega-ripple in the trade winds called an easterly wave.

true

A tropical depression is more intense than a tropical disturbance.

true

Because the distinctive eye forms at wind speeds of about 119 km/hr (74 mph), this wind speed defines the threshold where a tropical storm has grown strong enough to be called a hurricane.

true

Fronts are not associated with hurricanes.

true

Hurricane surges are made worse if they coincide with a high tide at full or new moon.

true

Hurricanes can push high mounds of seawater onshore as surges that temporarily raise sea level over 6 m (20 ft).

true

Most U.S. hurricane deaths have been associated with sea surges occurring when a hurricane moves on land.

true

The energy released in a hurricane by forming clouds and rain is greater than the energy of its winds.

true

The most important energy source for a hurricane is heat released by condensation of water vapor inside the storm.

true

A hurricane acts as a heat engine, transferring heat from the __________.

warm, moist air above tropical seas into the core of the hurricane

As a hurricane forms, converging surface winds meet at the central core, which acts like a chimney sending __________.

warm, moist air flowing rapidly upward

As of early 2016, Hurricane Katrina (2005) is the most costly and third most deadly natural disaster in the United States since 1900. Scientists thought a hurricane strike causing a disaster like this one in New Orleans __________.

would happen if preparation for the coming disaster did not occur