Tuesday, October 23, 2012

WeatherWhys for October 23,2012

Here's the "WeatherWhys",for Tuesday,October 23,2012,discussing the fuel for a hurricane,from accuweather.com,enjoy:















A hurricane's powerful winds are the result of a steep pressure gradient between the center of the storm and the surrounding environment. The pressure gradient is produced through the liberation of heat. Evaporation extracts huge amounts of heat from the ocean. When the water vapor condenses into clouds and rain, the heat energy is released. Since warm and moist air has less weight, the central pressure of the storm lowers. In turn, the steepening pressure gradient causes the air to accelerate.

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