Tropical Storm Case Study

Question 1

What is a tropical storm?

Answer 1

A tropical storm is

• an intense low-pressure weather system,
• that can last for days to weeks
• within the Tropical regions of our planet.

Question 2

What is a tropical storm known as in North America?

Answer 2

Hurricane

nd Willy-Willies in Australia.

Question 3

What is a tropical storm known as in India?

Answer 3

Cyclone

Question 4

What is a tropical storm known as in Japan and East Asia?

Answer 4

Typhoon

Question 5

What is a tropical storm known as in Australia?

Answer 5

Willy-Willie

Question 6

Where do these tropical storms occur?

See image as well in binder

Answer 6

They all occur

• in a band
• that lies roughly between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn

Question 7

Can these storms occur outside of the tropics?

Answer 7

Some storms can form just outside of the tropics, but in general the distribution (location) of these storms is controlled by the places where sea temperatures rise above 27°C.

Question 8

But where do they mostly occur (aka the location/distribution)?

Answer 8

In general the distribution (location) of these storms is controlled by the places where sea temperatures rises above 27°C

aka They form whenever sea temperatures rise above 27 °C.

Question 9

What does the sun do to the temperature of the ocean over summer?

Answer 9

The sun’s heat passes through our atmosphere and warms the ocean water throughout the summer.

Question 10

Does this rising in temperature of the sea go fast?

Answer 10

• Because the sea is constantly moving,
• and heat is redistributed to deeper parts of the ocean,
• this takes quite some time

Question 11

When do hurricanes occur most often?

Answer 11

Hurricanes occur in late summer - when sea temperature is at its highest

Question 12

What is encouraged when sea temperature rises to 27°C and above?

Answer 12

This encourages evaporation

Question 13

What happens during evaporation?

Answer 13

The rising of air and water vapour up through the atmosphere in thermals.

Question 14

What happens as these thermals rise?

Answer 14

• The temperature drops (approximately 1°C per 100m)

- causing the water vapour to condense into droplets.

Question 15

What does this help form?

Answer 15

huge cumulonimbus clouds

fun fact: cumulus means cloud (eigenlijk ook ‘stapel’) and ‘nimbus’ means cloud, so cumulonimbus cloud is eigenlijk dubbelop

Question 16

What is released during condensation?

Answer 16

Heat is released during condensation fuelling the storm further.

Question 17

What happens when these droplets collide with eachother?

Answer 17

Eventually these droplets will collide with one another

• and become bigger
• and fall as rain.

Question 18

What happens because the air has risen in the centre of the storm?

Answer 18

An area of low atmospheric pressure exists at the surface.

Question 19

What does the Earth’s atmosphere do as a result?

Answer 19

The Earth’s atmosphere acts to balance this out as air rushes from surrounding high pressure areas to the centre of the storm.

Question 20

What is subsequently created in the storm?

Answer 20

This creates the high winds in the storm.

Question 21

What happens the lower the pressure gets in the centre of the storm?

Answer 21

The lower the pressure gets in the centre of the storm - relative to the pressure surrounding the storm - the stronger the winds will become.

See images in binder!

Question 22

Where does the storm migrate to?

Answer 22

The whole storm slowly migrates across oceans towards land

Question 23

What happens because of the Earth’s rotation?

Answer 23

Because of the Earth’s rotation or spin the whole storm starts to spiral around a central calm point, known as the eye.

Question 24

What happens to the storms as they pass over land?

Answer 24

As tropical storms pass over land the lose their source of energy, and then die out

Question 25

How can Tropical Storms can be categorised?

Answer 25

Tropical Storms can be categorised by their strength.

see binder for the strengths (category 1-5)