WEATHER DISTURBANCES AND OTHER PHENOMENA

A weather disturbance is a general term that describes any pulse of energy moving through the atmosphere. They are important in that they can act as focusing mechanisms for storm formation, or even to intensity low pressure system. They are typically mid or upper atmospheric troughs of low pressure that is embedded in the general wind flow of the atmosphere. Weather Disturbances are disturbances in the weather such as:

1. Typhoons 2. Hurricanes 3. Global Warming 4. Tornadoes 5. Cyclones 6. Storms TYPHOONS A typhoon is a violent cyclone that occurs in the northwest Pacific Ocean. Typhoons feature heavy rains and winds that maintain speeds equal to or greater than 74 miles (119 kilometers) per hour. Similar storms that occur in other parts of the world are called tropical cyclones or hurricanes. The word typhoon comes from the Chinese term taifung, meaning great wind.

Typhoons occur most frequently in the late summer. They form over warm seas between about 5 and 20 degrees of latitude from the equator. They tend to move west, northwest, and eventually northeast at speeds of 10 to 20 miles (16 to 32 kilometers) per hour. Inside a typhoon, strong winds blow in a counterclockwise direction around an area of low pressure at the storm's center, which is called the eye. The eye usually measures about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 64 kilometers) in diameter. The strongest winds blow inside the eye wall, a ring of clouds that surrounds the eye. These winds often reach speeds of more than 110 miles (180 kilometers) per hour. The heavy rains and strong winds of a typhoon can cause great loss of life and billions of dollars in property damage. As a typhoon approaches lands, its winds produce a rush of seawater called a storm surge that can devastate coastal areas. A typhoon is a region-specific term given to a type of tropical cyclone, usually occurring within the northwestern region of the Pacific Ocean, west of the International Date Line. These same systems in other regions are referred to as either hurricanes, or more generally, tropical cyclones. The center of a cyclone is referred to as the eye. The eye is a circular area of calm, fair weather. On average, a tropical cyclone eye is about 30 miles across. Surrounding the eye are eye walls which are regions of dense convective clouds. The winds of eye walls are the highest and generally cause the most damage. Spiraling into the eye walls are more convective cloud regions referred to as spiral bands. These areas contain heavy winds and extend out from the typhoon eye. How Typhoons Occur Researchers are continuously working toward and discovering new information on the phenomena of tropical cyclones as there is still much regarding the system that is

unknown. Typhoons occur when a rough weather wave, using the Earth's rotation, begins to rotate (also known as the Coriolis Effect). The potential of generating a pressure system increases if this wave spins into a complete circle; with higher pressure on the outside and a low-pressure center. High multidirectional winds surrounding the wave can disrupt the system from forming. If the system maintains its rotation and begins to spiral at a rate greater than 65 knots (74 mph), it is referred to as a tropical cyclone. Typhoon intensity is not dependent on the size of the system. HURRICANE A hurricane is a severe tropical cyclone. In order to be a hurricane, the wind speeds must reach at least 74 mph (119 km). Category 5 hurricanes reach winds 156+ mph (251+ km). They generate copious rain, which can cause flooding, and the possibility of tornadoes when they near landfall. Hurricanes only form over warm seas, where the temperature is from 16C to 27C . This is the reason why they normally form only in the tropics. Rising hot air from the surface powers rapid air movement, which is extremely powerful as it swirls around in an anti-clockwise direction. The flow increases the drop of pressure within the storm. Rain, high winds, hail, and tornadoes are found in the clouds around the hurricane. The center (eye) of the storm is almost always clear of this activity. Tropical storms may reach a width of 80km to 650km. A hurricane is a natural phenomenon that transfers excess heat from the tropics to the upper latitudes. The normal year-round process is by moist airflow, and only forms these extreme systems under specific circumstances.

A hurricane is a name given to a tropical cyclone. This massive atmospheric disturbance is centered on a large low pressure area, and circulating air masses will spawn thunderstorms that have strong winds and heavy rain. Links can be found below. How do hurricanes occur? A hurricane is basically a massive heat engine that transfers the high oceanic heat content into the atmosphere by releasing that built up heat via condensation. Once a hurricane moves onshore, it loses that energy source and weakens. Hurricanes only form over really warm ocean water has to be over 80F or even warmer. The wind has to blow in the same direction. It has to have the same speed to force air upward from the ocean surface. GLOBAL WARMING Global warming is an average increase in the temperature of the atmosphere near the Earths surface and in the troposphere, which can contribute to changes in global climate patterns. Global warming can occur from a variety of causes, both natural and human induced. In common usage, global warming often refers to the warming that can occur as a result of increased emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities. An increase in the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere, especially a sustained increase great enough to cause changes in the global climate. The Earth has experienced numerous episodes of global warming through its history, and currently appears to be undergoing such warming. The present warming is generally attributed to

an increase in the greenhouse effect , brought about by increased levels of greenhouse gases, largely due to the effects of human industry and agriculture. Expected long-term effects of current global warming are rising sea levels, flooding, melting of polar ice caps and glaciers, fluctuations in temperature and precipitation, more frequent and stronger El Nios and La Nias, drought, heat waves, and forest fires. See more at greenhouse effect. How does Global Warming occur? Global warming occurs when the world heats up this is known as climate change. It all starts with a thing called green house gasses, the green houses gasses create an outer layer of the earth. When the sun's rays hit the earth a smaller amount of it goes out again, this is because it gets trapped inside the earth and the gasses, this heats the world up and melts the ice caps thus raising the sea level today. TORNADO A violently rotating column of air extending from a cumulonimbus cloud to the Earth, ranging in width from a few meters to more than a kilometer and whirling at speeds between 64 km (40 mi) and 509 km (316 mi) per hour or higher with comparable updrafts in the center of the vortex. The vortex may contain several smaller vortices rotating within it. Tornadoes typically take the form of a twisting, funnel-shaped cloud extending downward from storm clouds, often reaching the ground, and dissolving into thin, ropelike clouds as the tornado dissipates. Tornadoes may travel from a few dozen meters to hundreds of kilometers along the ground. Tornadoes usually form in the tail end of violent thunderstorms, with weaker funnels sometimes forming in groups along a

leading squall line of an advancing cold front or in areas near a hurricane . The strongest tornadoes, which may last several hours and travel hundreds of kilometers, can cause massive destruction in a relatively narrow strip along their path. The causes of tornado formation are not well understood. HOW DOES TORNADOES FORM? A tornado forms from the twisting of rising air. Radar and storm spotters are two primary sources that tornadoes are identified. The troposphere needs to have instability for a thunderstorm and a tornado to occur. Instability release produces the updraft of a thunderstorm. The closer the base of the updraft (known as Level of Free Convection) is to the surface then the better it is for tornadoes. The base of the updraft will tend to be closer to the surface when the dew points and relative humidity in the lower troposphere are higher.

The air needs to also be twisting. Twisting will not occur if the winds are too light or if the wind does not significantly change direction and speed with height. If the air in the lower troposphere is twisting from wind shear then when this air is forced upwards through the updraft it will spin like a top. If the balance between the twisting motion and instability release is just right a tornado will form.

Think of spinning a top. If the top does not spin fast enough it will fall over and not work. There is not enough of a twist in that situation. If the top is not spun correctly it will fall over and lose balance. There is not a good balance of twist and pull alignment in that situation. For a tornado to occur it helps to have an overlapping alignment between the

updraft and the wind shear. This is a situation of significant helicity and significant CAPE close to the surface occurring at the same time. As twisting air accelerates upwards it will stretch. This stretching will enhance the rotation rate just like an ice skater twists faster when the hands are brought closer to the spinning body. Tornadoes produce the most powerful winds on earth. People that have seen tornadoes are often in awe of the fury and power of the wind. CYCLONE A large-scale system of winds that spiral in toward a region of low atmospheric pressure. A cyclone's rotational direction is opposite to that of an anticyclone. In the Northern hemisphere, a cyclone rotates counterclockwise; in the Southern hemisphere, clockwise. Because low-pressure systems generally produce clouds and precipitation, cyclones are often simply referred to as storms. A cyclone is an area of closed, circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth. This is usually characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotate counter clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth. HOW DOES CYCLONE FORM? As warm, moist air over the ocean rises up from the ocean surface, there is less air left near the surface, and this causes an area of lower air pressure below. The air around this region has higher air pressure, and so it rushes in to fill the low pressure area. This air also becomes warm and moist and so it rises, too. The cycle keeps going. Warm air rises, the surrounding air swirls in to take its place, and so on. When the warm moist air

rises, it cools off, and the water in the air forms clouds. The whole system of clouds and wind spins and grows, because it is being constantly fed by the ocean's heat and water evaporating from the surface. Cyclones (including typhoons and hurricanes) are caused by warm tropical moisture bearing clouds developing in open oceans or seas. Cyclones can only form over warm waters in the tropical regions of the oceans where the sea temperatures are 26.5 degrees Celsius or higher (around 80 degrees Fahrenheit). They occur in areas of very low pressure when air that is heated by the sun rises rapidly, and becomes saturated with moisture which then condenses into high thunderclouds. As the atmosphere becomes favorable for development (no wind shearing in the higher parts of the atmosphere), normal thunder storms clump together.

When the hot air rises, cooler air rushes in to fill the area left vacant by the hot air. The Coriolis Effect of the Earth spinning on its axis causes the air to spiral upwards with considerable force. This in turn causes the winds to rotate faster, causing the tropical low to deepen in intensity into a tropical depression, and eventually a cyclone which is anywhere between hundreds of kilometers to thousands of kilometers wide. Cyclones are also characterized by strong winds, yet in their centre is a clear, calm region called the 'eye'. When the cyclone continues its course, and the winds return from the other direction, they may seem to be more violent. The winds are not just rotating; there is also the effect of the warmer air continually rising and cold air rushing in. That is why the winds are so strong, and seem to move in all directions. STORM

A low-pressure atmospheric disturbance resulting in strong winds accompanied by rain, snow, or other precipitation and often by thunder and lightning. A storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather. It may be marked by strong wind, hail, thunder and/or lightning (a thunderstorm), heavy precipitation (snowstorm, rainstorm), heavy freezing rain (ice storm), strong winds (tropical cyclone, windstorm), or wind transporting some substance through the atmosphere as in a dust storm, blizzard, sandstorm, etc. Storms generally lead to negative impacts to lives and property such as storm surge, heavy rain or snow (causing flooding or road impassibility),lightning, wildfires, and vertical wind shear; however, systems with significant rainfall can alleviate drought in places they move through. Heavy snowfall can allow special recreational activities to take place which would not be possible otherwise, such as skiing and snowmobiling. HOW DO STORMS FORM? Storms are a disturbance on a planet's atmosphere affecting its surface. They are usually characterized by accompanying rushes of wind, rain, thunder, lightning, sow, hail and sleet. Storms are exciting to watch on television but can be vastly destructive in reality. Thunderstorms are the most common type of storms and are known to accompany tornadoes, hurricanes etc. They are formed due to the convection currents. In the formation of a tornado, the air which is heated, rises and is pushed upwards by heavier, cooler mass of air. As the air moves up higher, it begins to cool and expand.

The water vapor in the air cools and condenses to form water droplets. With this process carrying for a prolonged period of time, a big thundercloud is formed and looms high in the sky. The activity of the air currents moving upward creates friction and electric discharges are set-off, resulting into lightning. The air cools down further, strong winds begin to blow and rain falls as the drops become too heavy to be sustained in the cloud.