The birth of a hurricane requires at least three conditions. First, the ocean waters must be warm enough at the surface to put enough heat and moisture into the overlying atmosphere to provide the potential fuel for the thermodynamic engine that a hurricane becomes. Second, atmospheric moisture from sea water evaporation must combine with that heat and energy to form the powerful engine needed to propel a hurricane. Third, a wind pattern must be near the ocean surface to spirals air inward. Bands of thunderstorms form, allowing the air to warm further and rise higher into the atmosphere. If the winds at these higher levels are relatively light, this structure can remain intact and grow stronger: the beginnings of a hurricane!Often, the feature that triggers the development of a hurricane is some pre-existing weather disturbance in the tropical circulation. For example, some of the largest and most destructive hurricanes originate from weather disturbances that form as squall lines over Western Africa and subsequently move westward off the coast and over warm water, where they gradually intensify into hurricanes.
Hurricane winds in the northern hemisphere circulate in a counterclockwise motion around the hurricane's center or "eye," while hurricane winds in the southern hemisphere circulate clockwise.
The eye of a hurricane is relatively calm. It is generally 20 to 30 miles wide (the hurricane istself may extend outward 400 miles). The most violent activity takes place in the area immediately around the eye, called the "eyewall". At the top of the eyewall (up to 50,000 feet), most of the air is propelled outward, increasing the air's upward motion. Some of the air, however, moves inward and sinks into the eye, creating a cloud-free area.
Tropical Rainfall Measuring MissionTRMM view of Hurricane Susan Hurricanes are huge heat engines, converting the warmth of the tropical oceans and atmosphere into wind and waves. The heat dissipates as the system moves toward the poles, sometimes causing a great deal of hardship for people living along the vulnerable coastlines.
NASA scientists are using the TRMM satellite to understand which parts of a hurricane produce rainfall and why. In addition, TRMM may answer the question of how much latent heat or "fuel" hurricanes release into the atmosphere and whether they affect global weather patterns.
Most importantly to people endangered by hurricanes, TRMM will add to the knowledge needed to improve computer-based weather modeling. With this data, meteorologists may be more able to precisely predict the path and intensity of these storms. By: kids.earth.nasa.gov
Comments (2)
7:11 PM
That lower photo is NOT that of a hurricane, but of an approaching supercell thunderstorm.
9:00 AM
Hurricanes is amazing. Thank you for writing this informative post.
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