Question

Discuss the role of warm water in the formation and persistence of a hurricane, referencing your observations about Sea Surface Tempature in the Atlantic and Gulf and what happened to Katrina after landfall.

Answer 1

Answer- The warm sea water supprots the evaporation of the sea water this leads to the pumping of the sea water into lower atmosphere. This humid air or water vapour are dragged as the wind converges and it turns upward. As the warm water vapour rises it gradually cool and thus it emits heat to the atmosphere leading to condensation and formation of cloud, this heat which is released from the water vapour warms the air which also rises upward. This upward rush lead to more spiralling of moist air. This spiralling creats a low pressure within the rotating hurricane. This moist air continously rises till it is below the warm sea water. Then the horizontal shear wind takes the hurricane from the tropical warm sea water from sea surface gradually the strength is loosed and finally it hit continental area where the landfall takes place. The movement of hurricane is from tropical area where the temperature is high. In case of Katrina which hit Louisiana in the year 2005 was the costliest hurricane ever in terms of causing damage. The Katrina was due a initial depression from the tropical waves, gradually the depression intensified and moved towards Florida and finally the 1st landfall took place in Hallandale beach in August 25, again it emerged on the gulf of Mexico where it got rapidly intensify and it strengthen to category 5 hurricane over warm water of gulf of Mexico. And gradually looses the strength but before weakening to category 3 finally does the second landfall in Louisiana and Mississippi on August 29. This lead to flooding and great damage.