ATS 351, Spring 2010
Lab #12
Hurricanes - 60 points
Hurricane Structure (14 points)
1. (4 points) On the plot below, label in the regions provided: the eye, eye wall,
and spiral rain band. Also indicate the direction of rotation of the hurricane (at
low levels – you may draw arrows if you wish).
2. (10 points) Why are skies often clear in a hurricane's eye?
Formation and Development (18 points)
3. (2 points) Why is a hurricane more likely to form in October than in May?
4. (4 points) Why do hurricanes form over the ocean and dissipate over the land?
5. (8 points) Please list the 4 stages of hurricane development and describe the
characteristics of each stage.
6. (4 points) What feature of a hurricane is responsible for the greatest
percentage of human casualties and damage when the storm makes landfall?
Where can this feature be found within the storm, relative to the storm’s direction
of movement?
7. Answer the following true/false questions based on the two satellite images
provided below. (20 points – 2 each)
System A
System B
a. System A's surface winds are clockwise.
b. The energy source for system B is warm ocean water.
c. System B would likely be found in the winter.
d. System A generally moves toward the west.
e. System A is a warm-core system.
f. System B has strongest winds at upper levels.
g. Rainfall rates are much larger in system B than in system A.
h. The horizontal temperature gradient is the main energy source for system B.
i. System A is a mid-latitude cyclone.
j. The pressure gradient force is stronger in system A than in system B at the
surface.
8. (8 points) Using the satellite image below of Hurricane Isabel, where would you
expect the strongest surface winds to be located as Isabel makes landfall?
Explain.
(Note: The arrow on the image indicates the direction of motion)