 |
| Hurricane Isabel (2003) |
Low pressure sets an air mass into motion. This motion would be experience by as wind - wind with measurable intensity and direction.
The term cyclone refers to cyclical wind flow. The direction of wind flow in cyclonic systems is:
- Counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, and
- Clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere,
The Coriolis force deflects moving objects when they are viewed in a rotating reference frame such as the earth's rotation. Wind undergoes an apparent deflection from its path because of the rotation of the earth.
Tropical cyclones originate over tropical oceans in the equatorial regions of the earth. A cyclone derives its energy from condensed water vapor. Condensation occurs as warm, saturated air rises from the ocean surface (evaporation) and cools.“There is no way that we can predict the weather six months ahead beyond giving the seasonal average”
Hurricane Sandy 10/26/2012
― Stephen Hawking, from Black Holes and Baby Universes
“One of the fellows called me 'Cyclone' but finally shortened it to 'Cy' and its been that ever since.”A tropical cyclone is also referred to as a hurricane, a typhoon, a tropical storm, a cyclonic storm, a tropical depression, or simply a cyclone, depending on the global region and wind-speed intensity.
― "Cy" Young, Major League Baseball pitcher (1867 – 1955).
| Name | Wind Speed | Global Region |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Depression | 38 mph or less | ― |
| Tropical Storm | 40 to 72 mph | ― |
| Hurricane | 74 mph or greater | Western North Atlantic and Eastern North Pacific |
| Typhoon | 74 mph or greater | Western North Pacific |
REFERENCES
- Coriolis Effect. Wikipedia.
- Tropical Cyclone by Kerry Emanuel. The Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences. 2003. 31:75–104.
- Tropical Cyclone. Wikipedia.
