Tropical cyclones, hurricanes, typhoons, and other weather phenomena happen out on the Earth’s seas.  Each in their own way they are a powerful force that can cause destruction and death. It is estimated for the United States alone that in one day a hurricane can let loose enough energy to supply all of the nation’s electrical energy needs for approximately six month. William Redfield made the discovery of the “whirlwind” like winds that accompany such storms.  Since then, with the use of satellite technology, weather balloon information, and even jet aircraft instruments, knowledge of these storms has increased considerably.
         Large circling storms start in areas where the water in about 80?F (27?C). Humid air rises and condenses releasing latent heat. This energy then warms the surrounding air making it rise. Warm air rises again from the surface of the water below to replace the moving air.  These developing storms then gain further energy by moving over warm waters on their path. Other ingredients are needed to make a successful storm such as equal steering currents at all altitudes. Unequal winds would blow the storm out.  A fully developed storm can stir a million cubic miles of atmosphere with winds that can reach 180 plus miles per hour (112 km/h), causing waves up to 50 feet high.
         Certain characteristics separate large-scale storms into separate kinds of weather phenomena.  A cyclone is what is known as a low-pressure system moving within higher-pressure surroundings, which cause the air to circulate. Cyclones are unique due to the fact that they spin the opposite way a normal hurricane circling counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. A cyclone is tropical when it occurs or begins over tropical waters or latitudes.  Typically “cyclones” refer to the massive storms originating in the Indian Ocean. When the winds of a tropical cyclone reach over 74 miles per hour (46km/h) the storm is called a hurricane (in the Atlantic) or a typhoon (in the Pacific).  Typhoons are found in the North Pacific, west of the International Date Line (180? W).  Winds between 39 to 74 miles per hour (24-46km/h) characterize the systems as tropical storms.
         Extratropical storms account for most of the stormy weather the United States receives especially on its westerly coast.  These storms form outside of tropical areas and can be 300-600 miles (186-373km) wider and farther-reaching than tropical storms, which reach widths of 200-500 miles (124-311km). Contrary to tropical storms the “eye” of extratropical storms is colder than the surrounding winds. The reason that extratropical storms create the stormy weather for the U.S. is due to the accompanying front and the westerly winds which move them along from east to west.
         The oceans are in uproar during the course of these storms. A storm surge is a mound of water that is pushed up in the middle of a tropical cyclone by the winds. This surge is pushed up onto the sloping continental margins, raising the sea level by as much as 20 feet (6.1m). Underwater these storms even affect the oceans by causing internal waves that persist for weeks.
        The storms are classified on a scale from 1-5, 5 being catastrophic. This scale is known as the Saffir-Simpson hurricane intensity scale and is used to estimate the damage and severity of each storm. Storms are categorized also by the direction they turn, counter-clockwise or clockwise. This is due to the Coriolis effect.  Coriolis is caused by the rotation of the Earth and deflects Northern Hemisphere winds to the right and Southern Hemisphere winds to the left.
        Hurricane Fran dropped enough rain and had enough power to flood the Appalachians mountains area after making landfall on the coast of North Carolina in September 1996. Tropical Storm Alberto, even though in its final stages, flooded Georgia and Alabama before it died out, killing 32 people and causing one billion dollars in damage with 10-25 inches (4-10 cm) of rain, during July of 1994.  In Hawaii billions of dollars are lost by damage when storms hit about once a decade.  New technologies are being tested and soon it may be easier to predict and even in ways better protect the lands where these storms hit. Until then they will remain, as they have always been, large “machines” of water and wind impacting at the “will” of nature.
 

Works Consulted:
 

Ellis, Richard. Encyclopedia of the Ocean, Alfred A> Knopf, 2000
Williams, Jack. The Weather Book, USA Today, Vintage Books, May 1997
http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/tropic/CHRIS.GIF
http://home.stt.net/~typhoon1thumb2.html
http://rsd.gsfc.nasa.gov/rsd/images/Mitch.html
http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/tcfaqA.html#A1
http://www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/GifArchive/wld2001.gif, http://solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/summary.html
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/tg/whurwhat/whurwhat.htm