According to Carolyn Gramling’s report “Why hurricanes intensify so swiftly” (SN: 10/7/23 & 10/21/23, p. 10), warming ocean waters caused by human-induced climate change are leading to an increase in the rapid intensification of hurricanes.
The spiral shape of a hurricane is a result of the Coriolis effect, a phenomenon caused by the Earth’s rotation on its axis from west to east. Objects, including air currents, airplanes, and hurricanes, curve as they move through the air due to the conservation of the planet’s rotational momentum.
Hurricanes, which are tropical cyclones, typically form near the equator where warm ocean waters and air create favorable conditions for their development. Each cyclone consists of a low-pressure center called the eye, which draws in the surrounding high-pressure air. The Coriolis effect causes this air to be deflected slightly to the east as it moves towards the eye of the storm.
Simultaneously, air from the equator moves towards the poles and is also deflected eastward by the Coriolis effect. This combined effect results in the entire storm system spinning counterclockwise north of the equator and clockwise south of it.
2023-11-26 07:00:00
Source from www.sciencenews.org