chapter 9-natural disasters
Worldwide, about ________ storms grow to named tropical cyclones status each year
100
At what wind speed does a tropical storm become a hurricane?
120 kilometers (74 miles) per hour
A hurricane blows onto the East Coast of the United States on September 16, 2017. The maximum sustained wind speed is 176 kilometers (109 miles) per hour and the sea level height is pushed 2.3 meters (7.5 feet) above normal. What category is this hurricane?
2
What category hurricane was Ike?
4
A tropical cyclone with a wind speed of 260 km/hr. would be classified as Category ________ on the Saffir-Simpson Scale of hurricane intensity.
5
How big can the diameter of a hurricane become?
500 miles
Why is warm, moist air considered the "fuel" for a hurricane?
Air cools as it rises. As air cools, water vapor will condense out as liquid water. Condensation releases heat, providing energy to the hurricane.
Why are anticyclones not generally associated with clouds and rain?
Air in anticyclones undergoes warming as the air descends
Why are cyclones generally associated with clouds and rain?
Air in cyclones undergoes cooling as it rises
Which of the following describes the movement of air in a hurricane in the Northern Hemisphere?
Air moves up from the surface in a counterclockwise direction
Which of the following statements regarding moving air is/are true?
Due to the Coriolis effect, objects are deflected to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. The movement of air is called wind. Air always moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. Cyclonic flow is counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere.
How do high pressure systems behave in the Northern Hemisphere
High pressure systems rotate clockwise due to air turning to the right as it moves from high pressure to low pressure
How do high pressure systems behave in the Northern Hemisphere?
High pressure systems rotate clockwise due to air turning to the right as it moves from high pressure to low pressure
Where do hurricanes that hit the East Coast of the United States form? In which direction do they travel?
Hurricanes form in the Atlantic Ocean north of the equator and move in a northwest direction
Which of the following statements about hurricanes is true?
Hurricanes lose energy when moving over land.
Which of the following statements is/are true regarding low pressure systems?
In the Northern Hemisphere, low pressure systems are cyclonic Rising air in a Northern Hemisphere low pressure system is akin to opening a valve by turning it to the left.
What is the typical path for a North Atlantic hurricane to follow?
It begins in the low latitudes of the Atlantic, is pushed westward by the trade winds, curves to the right due to the Coriolis effect, and then, once it is in the midlatitudes, it is pushed to the east by the prevailing westerlies.
What was so notable about Hurricane Katrina?
It was a very strong category 5 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 280 kilometers (175 miles) per hour. It was the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. It was one of the top five deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history
What was so notable about Hurricane Sandy?
It was the largest Atlantic hurricane on record, in terms of diameter and extent
Part A Which atmospheric feature drives middle-latitude cyclones that produce cold and warm fronts and changing weather patterns? Part B In which season do middle-latitude cyclones typically generate the most severe weather in North America? Part C Typically, in which direction do middle-latitude cyclones move when crossing the North American continent? Part D Middle-latitude cyclones typically have both warm and cold fronts associated with them. If the cold front is traveling faster than the warm front in the cyclone, which weather phenomenon can result? Part E In North America, which two types of air masses interact to create middle-latitude cyclones?
Part A: low-pressure systems Part B: spring Part C: west to east Part D: an occluded front Part E: continental polar and maritime tropical
Part A What are midlatitude cyclones? Part B What happens when air masses of different temperatures meet? Part C Which of the following statements about movement in midlatitude cyclones are accurate? CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY. - The entire cyclone moves from west to east. - The warm front advances faster than the center of the storm, and the cold front advances more slowly than the center. - The cold front advances faster than the center of the storm, and the warm front advances more slowly than the center. - Surface winds move counterclockwise. - The warm and cold fronts advance faster than the center of the storm. Part D What is occlusion in a midlatitude cyclone? Part E When do midlatitude cyclones stop producing storms?
Part A: migrating low-pressure cells that move in the band of the westerlies Part B: Well-defined boundaries form between the air masses. Part C: - The entire cyclone moves from west to east. - The cold front advances faster than the center of the storm, and the warm front advances more slowly than the center. - Surface winds move counterclockwise. Part D: Occlusion is the process by which a cold front overtakes a warm front. Part E: when the cold front has completely taken over the warm front
Why is heavy rain associated with hurricane formation?
Rising, moist air cools. As air cools, water condenses and eventually falls
The intensity of tropical cyclones is measured by meteorologists using the __________ scale.
Saffir-Simpson
The strength of a hurricane is ranked from 1 to 5 on the:
Saffir-Simpson Scale.
Examine the five words and/or phrases and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the one option that does not fit the pattern.
Sea surface salinity
During which month are hurricanes most likely to occur on the east coast of the United States?
September
Why is the direction of rotation in the Northern Hemisphere opposite the direction of rotation in the Southern Hemisphere?
The Coriolis effect causes opposite deflections in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere.
Why don't tropical storms that form on the equator develop into hurricanes?
The Coriolis effect is absent.
Which of the following powers tropical cyclones?
The vast amounts of latent heat as water evaporates and condenses
Which of the following is not one of the names associated with huge rotating masses of low pressure characterized by strong winds and torrential rain?
Vortex
Which of the following statements is/are true regarding the anatomy of a hurricane?
Warm, moist air rises from the ocean surface, creating a low pressure system. Torrential rain and thunderstorms are common within the spiral rain bands. Air moves from high to low pressure and curves to the right due to the Coriolis effect in the Northern Hemisphere
Why are tropical cyclones not likely to occur in mid-latitude regions?
Westerly winds steer cyclones into cooler ocean water
What is an anticylone?
a center of high atmospheric pressure
What is a cyclone?
a center of low atmospheric pressure
In the figure above, which shows a snapshot of atmospheric pressures and winds in a typical January. At which of the labeled locations would you expect to find clear, sunny skies?
b
The air in the center of the eye of the hurricane is ________ air moving ________.
cool dry, downward
Low-pressure regions in the northern hemisphere rotate:
counterclockwise.
Which way does air move in an anticyclone in the Northern Hemisphere?
down, and in a clockwise direction
Which way does air move in an anticyclone in the Southern Hemisphere?
down, counterclockwise motion
Computer models and satellites make it unnecessary for aircraft to collect hurricane data from the storm
false
Extratropical cyclones are rarer than tropical cyclones and an extratropical cyclone has not been seen in the U.S. in over 100 years.
false
Hurricanes usually dissipate when they make landfall mainly due to the increased friction of the land.
false
If a hurricane warning is issued for your area, you should wait until you hear more information before deciding to evacuate.
false
Once a storm is assigned a category on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, it pretty much stays that way.
false
Storm surges usually resemble tsunamis in that it is a sudden rise in sea level from a storm.
false
The strongest recorded winds in U.S. came from a hurricane.
false
Weather buoys are an outdated source of weather information that are not used currently.
false
Which way does air converge on a cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere?
in a clockwise direction
Which way does air converge on a cyclone in the Northern Hemisphere?
in a counterclockwise direction
How does air move near the top of a cyclone?
in the same direction as air in the upper atmosphere
The strength of a hurricane stems from water's:
latent heat of condensation
What is a tropical cyclone?
low-pressure disturbance that develops over warm, tropical waters
Where are tropical cyclones found?
lower and middle latitudes
A tropical cyclone with a wind speed of 150 km/hr. would be classified as Category ________ on the Saffir-Simpson Scale of hurricane intensity
one
The largest loss of life from a hurricane is usually due to:
storm surge
Which of the following is responsible for 90% of the deaths associated with hurricanes
storm surge
What conditions are required for a hurricane to form?
the Coriolis effect warm ocean temperatures
Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below: In 1900, at least 6000 people in and around Galveston, Texas, were killed in the most deadly natural disaster in the US history BECAUSE the hurricane's storm surge completely submerged the island.
the assertion and the reason are both correct, but the reason is valid
Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below: The Hawaiian Islands are safe from tropical cyclones BECAUSE they are islands near the center of a large ocean.
the assertion is incorrect, but the reason is correct
What did the NASA satellite measure as it made passes above Hurricane Arthur in 2014?
the extent and intensity of the rain bands
The oceanic climate region(s) where the majority of strong tropical cyclonic storms are produced is
tropical
Extratropical cyclones are associated with cold, warm, and occluded fronts.
true
Just like in the case of an earthquake, people in hurricane-prone areas should have emergency supplies and should make a family plan.
true
Names for especially deadly or damaging hurricanes, like Hurricane Katrina, are retired and never will be used again.
true
The eye of the hurricane is an area of relative calm.
true
Which of the following names mean "tropical cyclone"?
typhoon, cyclone, and hurricane
The air surrounding of the eye of the hurricane is ________ air moving ________.
warm moist, upward
The majority of the world's tropical cyclones are formed in the waters north of the equator in the ________ Ocean.
western pacific