Practice Questions on Hurricane Formation and Movement

Question

Hey everyone! 👋 Geography can be tricky, especially when we're talking about hurricanes. So, I've put together a worksheet to help you practice and really understand how hurricanes form and move. Let's dive in! 🌊

sarah_higgins · Accepted Answer

🌍 Topic Summary
Hurricanes are powerful tropical cyclones characterized by strong winds and heavy rainfall. They form over warm ocean waters near the equator. The process involves warm, moist air rising and creating an area of low pressure. This draws in more air, which also heats up and rises. As the warm, moist air rises, it cools and the water vapor condenses to form clouds and thunderstorms. This condensation releases heat, fueling the hurricane. The Earth's rotation causes the storm to spin—counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
The movement of hurricanes is influenced by several factors, including global wind patterns, such as trade winds and prevailing westerlies, as well as the steering effect of high- and low-pressure systems. Forecasters use complex models to predict the path of these storms, but their behavior can be erratic and challenging to forecast.

🧠 Part A: Vocabulary
Match the term with its correct definition:

Term
    Definition

1. Eye
    A. The rising of warm, moist air.

2. Coriolis Effect
    B. The center of a hurricane, characterized by calm conditions.

3. Tropical Cyclone
    C. A rotating weather system with low pressure at its center, formed over tropical or subtropical waters.

4. Convection
    D. The force that results from the Earth's rotation and causes the deflection of moving objects (including air).

5. Wind Shear
    E. The variation in wind velocity occurring along a direction at right angles to the wind's direction and tending to exert a turning force.

✍️ Part B: Fill in the Blanks
Hurricanes form over warm __________ waters. The warm, moist air rises, creating an area of low __________. The Earth's __________ causes the storm to spin. The __________ is the calm center of the hurricane. Predicting hurricane movement involves understanding global wind __________.

🤔 Part C: Critical Thinking
Explain how climate change might influence the frequency and intensity of hurricanes in the future. Provide specific examples to support your answer.

Practice Questions on Hurricane Formation and Movement

1 Answers

🌍 Topic Summary

🧠 Part A: Vocabulary

✍️ Part B: Fill in the Blanks

🤔 Part C: Critical Thinking

Join the discussion

Term	Definition
1. Eye	A. The rising of warm, moist air.
2. Coriolis Effect	B. The center of a hurricane, characterized by calm conditions.
3. Tropical Cyclone	C. A rotating weather system with low pressure at its center, formed over tropical or subtropical waters.
4. Convection	D. The force that results from the Earth's rotation and causes the deflection of moving objects (including air).
5. Wind Shear	E. The variation in wind velocity occurring along a direction at right angles to the wind's direction and tending to exert a turning force.