1) Why are hurricanes called tropical cyclones and not equatorial cyclones?
2) Early in their development, Atlantic Cyclones begin to move in what direction? Why?
3) What usually happens to a hurricane as it makes landfall?
Thanks for all the help!
Chosen Answer:
They are called tropical cyclones because they bear tropical characteristics, i.e. derive their energy from very warm and moist air having a lot of heat energy. They don’t necessarily form just close to the equator but sometimes even in mid-latitudes. They tend to move westward early in their lives since they are usually south of a mid-latitude high pressure area, with the wind flow around that high blowing them westerly.
Hurricanes need a lot of warm and moist water to obtain the needed heat energy to maintain themselves. Once over land that energy source is lost, thus the tropical cyclone weakens.
by: cyswxman
on: 2nd November 12
