Note: This activity was designed around this pre-existing website hosted by UCAR Center for Science Education – link here: https://scied.ucar.edu/interactive/make-hurricane
Activity Instructions:
Tropical cyclones are arguably the most destructive weather events on Earth! The southeastern U.S. is often prone to impacts from these powerful storms. In this activity, you will explore how hurricanes form by creating your own hurricane within the Atlantic Ocean. The questions that you complete will ask you to analyze data in learning about the best locations for hurricane development, strengthening, weakening or where hurricanes are unable to form.
Introduction:
Watch the video at the following link (source: NOAA SciJinks): How Do Hurricanes Form?
From this video, what did you identify as key atmospheric or surface ocean “ingredients” that are needed for a hurricane to form? See if you can list at least 3.
Creating a Hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean!
Now that you have some understanding of what is involved with respect to hurricane formation, let’s take a look at the Atlantic Ocean and see if we can determine where hurricanes are in the best position to either do one of the following:
- Generate
- Strengthen (if it already exists)
- Weaken (if it already exists)
- Not generate at all
The next four questions will ask to you analyze sea surface temperature, atmospheric moisture and upper level atmospheric wind data to help determine the best locations for each of the four scenarios described above.
Sea Surface Temperatures (SST’s)
The map below shows Atlantic Ocean sea surface temperature data during a typical hurricane season. Given this information, which locations (A-M) do you think would be best for the following situations? Write down which labeled locations would be best for each situation; note that there may be more than one location that applies to each situation!
a) Forming a hurricane
b) Strengthening an already existing hurricane
c) Weakening an already existing hurricane
d) Not conducive for hurricane formation
Atmospheric Humidity
The map below shows atmospheric humidity data, or where air is moist versus dry, during a typical hurricane season. Given this information, which locations (A-M) do you think would be best for the following situations? Write down which labeled locations would be best for each situation; note that there may be more than one location that applies to each situation!
a) Forming a hurricane
b) Strengthening an already existing hurricane
c) Weakening an already existing hurricane
d) Not conducive for hurricane formation
Upper Atmosphere Winds
The map below shows upper level atmospheric wind data during a typical hurricane season. Given this information, which locations (A-M) do you think would be best for the following situations? Write down which labeled locations would be best for each situation; note that there may be more than one location that applies to each situation!
a) Forming a hurricane
b) Strengthening an already existing hurricane
c) Weakening an already existing hurricane
d) Not conducive for hurricane formation
Data Synthesis
While it is typically easier to draw conclusions regarding where we expect hurricanes to form, strengthen, weaken or not exist within the Atlantic Ocean when only analyzing one variable at a time, the reality is that hurricanes are dependent on all these variables in combination. Let’s put all the data together in combination to determine where we expect to label these stages of a hurricane’s life cycle.
Using the blank map of the Atlantic Ocean below, in combination with the maps you analyzed above, which locations (A-M) do you think would be best for the following situations?
a) Forming a hurricane
b) Strengthening an already existing hurricane
c) Weakening an already existing hurricane
d) Not conducive for hurricane formation
How Well Did you Do?
To check your work above, go to the following website below from UCAR’s Center for Science Education: https://scied.ucar.edu/make-hurricane
Given what you learn using the website above, revise (if needed) which locations (A-M) you think would be best for the following situations:
a) Forming a hurricane
b) Strengthening an already existing hurricane
c) Weakening an already existing hurricane
d) Not conducive for hurricane formation
Reflection Exercise
Reflect on your experience with this activity:
- How well did you do on your own?
- What was the easiest part of this activity?
- What was the most difficult part of this activity?