EARTH SCIENCE REGENTS - INTRODUCTION TO HURRICANES

Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper. Work neatly - I'll check them over, and you'll want them to study for a quiz!

Go to http://www.cnn.com/2006/WEATHER/05/22/2006.hurricane.season/index.html. This is a recent CNN page regarding the 2006 hurricane season

1. What part of the year constitutes the Altantic Hurricane Season?
2. How many hurricanes (not storms) are predicted for 2006?
3. Click on the Saffir-Simpson Scale link at the top of the page. At what wind speed is a weather disturbance classified as a Tropical Storm? A Hurricane?

Go to CNN's Hurricane Headquarters (http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2006/hurricanes/)and click "How Hurricanes Form" in the Hurricane Science section
1. Look at the diagram at "Stage 1" What direction, generally, do hurricanes in the eastern and mid Alantic move?
2. As the hurricanes approach the Untied States, how, generally, do their paths change?
3. What characteristic of the ocean over which the hurricanes form seems essential for storms to form?

Click Stage "2"
1. What do the red arrows indicate?
2. In what direction (clockwise or counterclockwise - choose one) do the blue arrows indicate the spinning motion in the atmosphere around the hurricane?
3. What temperature must the sea water be in order for a hurricane to form? How does that temperature compare with ocean water temperatures around NY? (See Oceanweather.com to find a map of current water temperatures)

Click Stage "3"
1. Describe the motion of warm moist air at the "eye" of the hurricane.
2. Describe the direction of the rotation of the atmosphere (blue arrows) near the center of the storm. Does the air seem to be moving (into or out of - choose one) the center of rotation?

click on "Safety Tips" in the Danger Zone section
1. What do tips 2 and 3 suggest you do?
2. List the items you should have in your "supply kit". 3. Tips 5 and 6 deal with preparing your house. Describe what your family should do to prepare your own home.
4. Why are "low lying areas" considered "danger areas"?

Go to http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/index.html
1. List the wind speeds of each of the 5 hurricane categories.
2. What do you notice about the air pressure as wind speed increases?
3. Click "Storm Names" under the "Atlantic" column. What are the names of the first 8 named storms of this season?
4. Return to http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/index.html and click "2006" under the "Atlantic" column. Are there any active storms right now? If so, what storms and what category are currently active?