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Questions and Answers
What is a hurricane?
What is a hurricane?
Tropical cyclones can form within 5° of the equator.
Tropical cyclones can form within 5° of the equator.
False
What energy source do tropical cyclones primarily rely on?
What energy source do tropical cyclones primarily rely on?
Evaporation of water from the ocean surface
Tropical cyclones typically have a diameter between _____ and _____ km.
Tropical cyclones typically have a diameter between _____ and _____ km.
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Match the following tropical cyclone names with their geographic locations:
Match the following tropical cyclone names with their geographic locations:
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Study Notes
Tropical Cyclone Characteristics
- A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure center, closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms.
- It produces heavy rain or squalls.
- Names depend on location: hurricane (Atlantic/Northeastern Pacific), typhoon (Northwestern Pacific), etc.
- In other oceans, they are simply called tropical cyclones or severe cyclonic storms.
Tropical Cyclone Origins
- "Tropical" refers to the origin in tropical seas.
- "Cyclone" refers to the circular wind pattern.
- Clockwise rotation in the Southern Hemisphere, counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. This is due to the Coriolis effect.
Tropical Cyclone Formation
- Forms over large bodies of warm water.
- Energy comes from evaporating ocean water, condensing into clouds and rain.
- Different from mid-latitude storms, such as nor'easters, which are driven by temperature contrasts.
Tropical Cyclone Size
- Typically 100 to 2,000 km (62 to 1,243 miles) in diameter.
Tropical Cyclone Formation Dynamics
- Strong winds are due to the conservation of angular momentum from Earth's rotation.
- Air flows inwards towards the rotation axis.
- Rare within 5° of the equator.
- Coastal areas are more vulnerable than inland areas.
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Description
Explore the characteristics, origins, and formation of tropical cyclones in this informative quiz. Learn about how these powerful storms develop over warm ocean waters and their naming conventions across different regions. Understand the unique features that distinguish them from other storm types.
