trackinghurricaneandrew（6页）.docVIP

TRACKING HURRICANE ANDREW - LAB LEARNING OBJECTIVES Use latitude and longitude coordinates to plot locations on a map. Compare and contrast weather advisories such as “hurricane watch” and “hurricane warning”. Describe the conditions necessary for a hurricane to develop and how it dies out. BACKGROUND INFORMATION As the Northeast Trade Winds blow a hot, dry air mass (cT – continental tropical) from the Sahara Desert (Africa) over the Atlantic Ocean, the sand and dust in the air act as condensation nuclei. The warm water in the Atlantic Ocean is constantly evaporating, and the water vapor in the air is then able to attach to the sand/dust and change into liquid water droplets, forming clouds. Because the warm air is rising and the moisture continues to increase, the air mass (now an mT – maritime tropical) can sometimes turn into a large Low-pressure storm system, called a Tropical Depression. If the Tropical Depression strengthens and gets larger, it becomes a Tropical Storm. The Northeast Trade Winds continue to move the storm westward across the Atlantic Ocean towards North America. Most storms will eventually catch the Prevailing Westerlies, which turns and moves them to the Northeast. Although all Atlantic Ocean Tropical Storms develop this way, only a few of them each year intensify into Hurricanes. The “Atlantic Hurricane Season” runs from June 1st to November 30th each year, when the ocean water near the Equator is at least 82°F. During this time, Tropical Storms can sometimes strengthen enough to become a hurricane. On August 16, 1992, Hurricane Andrew formed in the Atlantic and proved to be one of the most intense and catastrophic hurricanes in recorded history. The deadliest part of a hurricane is the storm surge - a rising of sea level caused by the winds and low air pressures created by a hurricane. Storm surges can reach shore up to 12 hours before the edge of the hurricane makes landfall, and can raise sea level up to 30 feet! The calm