Lab_8_G109
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Indiana University, Bloomington *
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109
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Geography
Date
Dec 6, 2023
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docx
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3
Uploaded by JudgePelicanMaster939
The purpose of this assignment is (1) to review the basics of hurricane formation, and (2) gain experience
searching for and analyzing hurricane data from the NOAA National Hurricane Center website.
Part I
Answer the following questions, feel free to use materials in your textbook or google to find these
answers but make sure not to copy and paste what you find verbatim
.
Instead, please paraphrase the
answer into your own words.
1.
What is a hurricane? (5 points)
A hurricane is a storm that rotates around a location of low pressure, creating powerful winds
and lots of rain.
2.
Where on earth do hurricanes occur? (5 points)
They occur around the Equator above the warm ocean water. This may be in the Atlantic Ocean,
the Pacific Ocean, or the Caribbean Sea.
3.
What climatic conditions are necessary for hurricane formation? (10 points)
Thunderstorms, warm tropical waters and wind
4.
What time(s) during the year have the most favorable conditions for hurricane formation and
why? (10 points)
The most favorable times for hurricanes to from is in between the late summer and early fall. This is
due to the fact that the ocean water temperature rises.
Part II
Go to the following website and use the figures and information on the web page to answer the
following questions.
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/
5.What month has the highest number of hurricanes during the last 100 years? (10 points)
September
Weather and Climate G109 1
Lab 8: Hurricane
Investigation
6.
What year(s) from 1886-2015 have had the highest number of hurricanes? (10 points)
2005
most hurricanes – 28 hurricanes
7.What year(s) from 1886-2015 have had the highest number of Category 3+ hurricanes? (10 points)
In 2005 there were 7 category 3 hurricanes
8.
What region(s) of the Atlantic Basin has had the highest number of hurricanes striking the
coast since 1900? (10 points)
The East Gulf had the highest number of hurricanes within the Atlantic Basin.
9.
What state has had the highest number of hurricane hits?
Number of major hurricane hits?
(10 points)
Florida had the highest number in 120 hurricanes striking it and 37 of them were category 3 to 5.
Use this link for the next two questions:
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/nws-nhc-6.pdf
or search
10.
The deadliest hurricane hitting the Atlantic coast occurred in 1900 (Katrina was number 3).
Hurricane Katrina ranks the highest in terms of the cost of damage (adjusted for inflation),
yet the 1900 hurricane did not make the top 30 list.
What is/are possible explanation(s) for
this difference? (10 points)
One reason Hurricane Katrina could have caused more damage than the hurricane in 1900 isthat
the levees, or water barriers, surrounding New Orleans had failed, resulting in mass floodingand
huge financial losses. Flooding, and eventually drowning, also was the predominant factor ofthe
mass casualties in New Orleans.
11.
What are some potential problems with the statistics on hurricane size and severity in the
late 1800’s and early 1900’s? (10 points)
Because the Saffir Simpson Scale, an instrument to quantify the potential damage of hurricane
winds,was invented in the early 1970s, it is probable to assume that the statistics done in the late 1800's
Weather and Climate G109 2
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