Hurracaines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hurracaines - Essay Example A picture from the satellite gives a clear view of hurricanes. All hurricanes have an eye at the center which is surrounded by bands of clouds. Winds in the eye are almost calm and are less than a hundred mile across. Tall and big clouds circling the eye known as eye wall, contains the storm’s strongest winds. Hurricane size is categorized by the radial extent of gale-force winds (32 – 54 mph). Depending on the wind strength one can be able to calculate the size of the hurricane by use of gale- force criteria. Using the gale – force criteria, the winds of 35 mph of average Atlantic hurricane has a radius of 150 miles or equivalent diameter of 300 miles. On average, the width of hurricane’s cloud shield is around 500 miles, but it can vary (Fitzpatrick 7). Hurricane does not form instantaneously but is formed by a number of processes (Leatherman and Minneapolis 11). Warm and humid air from the ocean fuels a hurricane. Solar radiation warms large areas of tropical ocean to 80 F (27 c) or hotter. Due to this rise in temperature ocean water evaporates making the air in a thousand feet above the ocean extremely humid. Warm humid air above the ocean are said to be a good source of energy that causes hurricanes. Warm humid air then starts to condense into cloud droplets releasing heat picked up when it evaporated. In most cases, this heat provides the energy for thunderstorms. Once the necessary conditions are in place clouds and thunderstorms forms in line and start increasing (Fitzpatrick 19). Since the air warmed by heat released by condensation rises, air flows in to replace it. This rotation causes the wind to curve. Condensation keeps on releasing more and more heat, which in turn causes the air to rise faster, and the wind blowing in to the storm to speed up. Once the hurricane forms it is able to travel several miles across the ocean with fast and trailing strength. Hurricanes take place in the tropical regions of