Hurricane
When a tropical storm forms, it sucks up warm water from the ocean and condenses it into clouds and rain. The storm’s center, called the eye, is surrounded by a large radius of thunderstorms. The rain and wind from the hurricane can be extremely destructive.
Hurricanes form when the air temperature in the upper ocean reaches a certain threshold temperature. The warmer ocean waters fuel the storm and allow it to intensify. The churning from the winds also allows cooler, deeper waters to upwell. But if the cool water robs the hurricane of energy, it will weaken rapidly.
Another key ingredient in a hurricane is its distance from the equator. This is because the Earth’s rotation causes a force, known as Coriolis force, which acts differently at different latitudes. The force causes the spinning of the winds that create hurricanes. This is why hurricanes can’t form within 5 degrees of the equator.
Scientists have begun to use more sophisticated tools to gather information about hurricanes. These instruments measure things like the size of the storm and its speed, as well as its strength. They also collect information about the conditions in the ocean before, during, and after a hurricane passes by. Autonomous robots, such as spray gliders and Argo floats, remain in the ocean for months at a time gathering data. Researchers are able to use this information to understand why hurricanes occur and how they might change in the future.
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