What parts of the water cycle do hurricanes demonstrate?
In the cooler upper atmosphere, the water vapor condenses into clouds and releases its heat. The energy absorbed by the atmosphere in this process of evaporation over the tropical oceans is what causes hurricanes during the summer months.
What happens to the water after a hurricane?
Around 60 percent was lost or drained into the ocean and Galveston Bay over the first few days after the storm, and the remaining 10 percent was lost via evapotranspiration, or a combination of evaporation and plant transpiration,” said first author Chris Milliner of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.
Where do fish go during hurricanes?
Fish and other ocean creatures face deadly conditions during a hurricane — sometimes the extreme weather strands them on land or far out at sea. Hurricanes can generate massive waves, so most sea creatures avoid the rough surface water and swim to calmer seas.
What is the social impact of a hurricane?
When a hurricane strikes a community, it leaves an obvious path of destruction. As a result of high winds and water from a storm surge, homes, businesses, and crops may be destroyed or damaged, public infrastructure may also be compromised, and people may suffer injuries or loss of life.
Where do sharks go when there is a hurricane?
Sharks — and other marine life — are sensitive to barometric pressure, which drops when a major storm like a hurricane comes in. Research has shown sharks can actually feel the change in pressure and swim out to deeper water to where they feel they will be safer.
How does the ocean affect the formation of hurricanes?
Hurricanes form over tropical oceans, where warm water and air interact to create these storms. As long as the base of this weather system remains over warm water and its top is not sheared apart by high-altitude winds, it will strengthen and grow. More and more heat and water will be pumped into the air.
What happens to water vapor in a hurricane?
Once in the atmosphere, the water vapor rises and condenses (the process of changing from water vapor to liquid water and releasing heat), forming a cloud. The wind may blow this cloud over land and the water can precipitate as rain or snow.
How does the hydrologic cycle occur in the ocean?
To illustrate the hydrologic cycle, one can follow a parcel of water on one possible path starting in the ocean. The water may evaporate (changes from liquid into water vapor) from the ocean surface and enter the atmosphere. Evaporation requires heat for the water to transition from a liquid to a gas.
How does a storm affect our water supply?
When these storms hit, they push a tremendous amount of toxins and contaminants from the earth directly into our water supply. When a storm is extremely powerful, municipal water treatment plants may not be running at their regular capacity and this can result in significant contamination.