Chapter 19.2
STORMS
| Storms involve:
moist rising air high winds precipitation |
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THUNDERSTORMS
Warm, moist air moves
rapidly upward. If the air cools enough it condenses to form a cloud.
Eventually the cloud particles are heavy enough that they fall to the ground
as raindrops. Cumulonimbus clouds produce thunderstorms.
more
information about thunderstorms
|
*definition - a tropical storm with winds of at least 120 km/h.
*average size - 600 km diameter *occur mostly along the Atlantic coastline *in the Atlantic Ocean they are known as hurricanes *in the western Pacific, they are known as typhoons *in the Indian Ocean, they are called cyclones |
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*formation
- form over warm tropical waters near the equator off the coast of Africa.
Warm air rises rapidly,
forms clouds and rain, causes a drop in pressure, a low pressure center
forms, air spins counterclockwise, it begins to move west across the Atlantic,
then it turns north. It will stop when its source of warm, moist
air is cut off - if it moves over land or if it moves north where it is
colder.
Hurricanes cause heavy
rain, violent winds, flooding, damage to lives and property.
*Hurricane
links click
here
*definition
- a whirling funnel-shaped windstorm.
*occur
mainly in the plains states
*formation
- often form at a cold front during thunderstorms. Warm air is forced
rapidly upward, air pressure drops, winds begin to rotate around the low
pressure area, forming the tornado.
*Tornado
links ckick
here 
Lake-effect snowstorms - occur when air moving over the Great Lakes picks up moisture
Kauai (a Hawaiian island) receives 8 meters+ of rain each year due to the trade winds blowing moist tropical air over the island.
Monsoons - winds in southern
Asia / eastern Africa. They cause seasonal storms
The National Weather Service
issues:
Storm
watch - a big storm is coming
Storm
warning - the big storm is about to occur
