Interview
Tropical Cyclone notes
- Course
- Institution
Detailed notes on tropical cyclones aligned with the IEB SAGS document for Geography
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
itayimadzinga
Reviews received
Content preview
Tropical cyclonesGeneral characteristics
a gigantic mass of revolving moist air
has a disc-like shape with a vertical scale of tens of kilometers of cumulonimbus
clouds and a horizontal span of hundreds of kilometers
extremely powerful storm systems
intense low pressure systems
it is like a travelling heat engine
it feeds in a continuous supply of latent heat released from the condensation of
ascending moist air from the ocean waters
Naming
they are known as hurricanes in the US, typhoons in Asia and tropical cyclones in
Australia
When they occur
they develop in late summer and early autumn over the tropical oceans (November -
April) in the southern hemisphere, and from June to November in the norther
hemisphere
they develop over warm oceans where the surface water temperature is higher than
27°C
they develop between 5° and 20° north and south of the equator
Pressure
pressure within the tropical cyclone may be as low as 920hPa (category 5)
Size
diameter of the vortex is about 600km and may reach 800km in a category 5 storm
central eye is about 30-50km in diameter and is surrounded by vortices comprised of
towering cumulonimbus clouds
dry air in the eye usually descends slowly and warms adiabatically; near the surface, it
may be 5-8 degrees warmer than the surrounding cooled air
Wind speed
TCs are characterised by very steep pressure gradients and strong cyclonic (clockwise
in the southern hemisphere) circulation
Cyclones with a max wind speed of less than 60km/h = tropical depressions
when the max speed ranges between 60 and 120km/h = tropical storm
when the max speed exceeds 120km/h = tropical cyclone
, Predictability
tropical cyclones are fairly predictable in speed and direction although their tracks
may be fairly erratic
tropical cyclones move forward at different speeds
Duration
lifespan varies from 3 to 8 days
Damage caused
tropical cyclones are smaller than mid-latitude cyclones but are more violent and
cause more damage
Area Name Season
North Atlantic
Ocean Hurricane June - November
all the year but most
North Pacific
Typhoon frequent and intense
Ocean
June - November
South Pacific
Ocean Tropical cyclone November - April
South Indian
Tropical cyclone November - April
Ocean
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller itayimadzinga. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $6.89. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
49497 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now