How Shifting Winds Turn Tropical Storms into Hurricanes
https://eos.org/research-spotlights/how-shifting-winds-turn-tropical-storms-into-hurricanes
Source: By Emily Underwood, Earth & Space Science News (EoS, AGU)
For Investigation: 10.3, 3.1, 3.2
Excerpt: Wind is a fickle force, frequently changing speed and direction. When this variation occurs over a short distance, it is called wind shear. Such sudden reversals are the bane of airline pilots because they can cause planes to lose altitude or change course. They can also disrupt the structure and trajectory of tropical cyclones, rotating complexes of thunderstorms that can strengthen into hurricanes if their path is undisturbed. The more wind shear one of these storms encounters, the more likely it is to be thrown off balance, wobbling like a top as its spin weakens. ...a recent study by Onderlinde and Nolan ...used a modified version of the Weather Research and Forecasting Model with a high-resolution grid (points separated by 2 kilometers) centered on developing tropical cyclones. Within this model, wind shear could be incrementally adjusted over time while other aspects of the environment, such as temperature, moisture, and wind, remained in balance. First, the team allowed weak cyclones to grow into hurricanes in favorable environments. Then, they slowly turned up the wind shear....
Source: By Emily Underwood, Earth & Space Science News (EoS, AGU)
For Investigation: 10.3, 3.1, 3.2
Excerpt: Wind is a fickle force, frequently changing speed and direction. When this variation occurs over a short distance, it is called wind shear. Such sudden reversals are the bane of airline pilots because they can cause planes to lose altitude or change course. They can also disrupt the structure and trajectory of tropical cyclones, rotating complexes of thunderstorms that can strengthen into hurricanes if their path is undisturbed. The more wind shear one of these storms encounters, the more likely it is to be thrown off balance, wobbling like a top as its spin weakens. ...a recent study by Onderlinde and Nolan ...used a modified version of the Weather Research and Forecasting Model with a high-resolution grid (points separated by 2 kilometers) centered on developing tropical cyclones. Within this model, wind shear could be incrementally adjusted over time while other aspects of the environment, such as temperature, moisture, and wind, remained in balance. First, the team allowed weak cyclones to grow into hurricanes in favorable environments. Then, they slowly turned up the wind shear....