EPSC 185 Lecture Notes - Intertropical Convergence Zone, Atlantic Pockets, Coriolis Force
14 Sep 2013
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Document Summary
Warm moist air moves over the ocean. As water vapour rises, it cools & condenses into liquid droplets. Condensation releases heat into atmosphere making the air lighter. Warmed air continues to rise with moist air from oceans taking its place creating more wind. 4 main requirements for hurricanes to form. No force at equator mean there"s no force to rotate the system, so no hurricanes could be storms there but won"t be hurricanes until they rotate. A pre-existing low-level focus or disturbance: call them trigger mechanisms as they cause series of storms to form intertropical convergence zone (itcz) Slightly displaced towards n hemisphere since there is more land mass & therefore more warming: easterly waves. More common in autumn months fronts & precipitations come together. Pockets of low pressure will break off of low pressure system; it already has weather & rotation associated with it so it can become a hurricane. Not as common, but it does happen.
