Anatomy of a Hurricane

Anatomy of a Hurricane

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJydFJORWf4

Anatomy of a hurricane

cloud shield - 500-600 km in diameter eye - 20-50 km in diameter

relatively warm light winds clear/broken clouds low surface pressure

eyewall very strong winds ring of intense thunderstorms/rain

surrounding the eye

2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season

• 2005 hurricane season was the most active in recorded history

• The impact of the storms was catastrophic

• Damages exceeded $100 billion

• Over 2280 people were killed

WP-3D OrionThe most sophisticated plane, it carries advanced instruments to measure surface wind speed. The NOAA aircraft flies into the eye of a hurricane at 10,000 feet, releasing drop windsondes

DropwindsondesUp to 50 per mission are released, and they transmit data by radio.The top is a parachute to stabilize decent, and the bottom is a humidity sensor. They are about 16 in. long.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kou0HBpX4A

Other information:• The word hurricane comes from a tribe of

aborigines in Central America known as the Tainos– Huracan was a god of evil

• hurricanes are known by different names in different parts of the world– Western Pacific and Southeast Asia typhoons– Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and the Indian

Ocean cyclones– Off coast of Australia willy willys

•

More info…….

• No hurricanes form in the S. Atlantic or E. South Pacific

• No hurricanes form within 4 or 5 degrees of the equator

• Only about 13% of hurricanes form pole-ward of 22 degrees

• Majority (65%) of hurricanes form between 10 and 20 degrees of either side of the equator