science

Glossary of tropical cyclone terms

Glossary of tropical cyclone terms is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Glossary of tropical cyclone terms rather than just read about it. In short: The following is a glossary of tropical cyclone terms. A Advisory Official information issued by tropical cyclone warning centers describing all tropical cyclone watches and warnings in effect along with details concerning tropical cyclone locations, intensity and movement, and precautions that should be taken.

Key takeaways

Glossary of tropical cyclone terms belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Glossary of tropical cyclone terms to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Glossary of tropical cyclone terms from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The following is a glossary of tropical cyclone terms.

A Advisory Official information issued by tropical cyclone warning centers describing all tropical cyclone watches and warnings in effect along with details concerning tropical cyclone locations, intensity and movement, and precautions that should be taken. Advisories are also issued to describe: (a) tropical cyclones prior to issuance of watches and warnings and (b) subtropical cyclones.

B Bar This is used to describe a dark layer of clouds that precedes the approach of a tropical cyclone. It is usually followed by heavy precipitation, and can also been seen in the eyewall of a cyclone. The arrival of the storm is often determined by this bar, as barometric pressure begins to fall and conditions begin to deteriorate following its passage. Best track A subjectively-smoothed representation of a tropical cyclone's location and intensity over its lifetime. The best track contains the cyclone's latitude, longitude, maximum sustained surface winds, and minimum sea-level pressure at 6-hourly intervals. Best track positions and intensities, which are based on a post-storm assessment of all available data, may differ from values contained in storm advisories. They also generally will not reflect the erratic motion implied by connecting individual center fix positions.

C Center Generally speaking, the vertical axis of a tropical cyclone, usually defined by the location of minimum wind or minimum pressure. The cyclone center position can vary with altitude. In advisory products, refers to the center position at the surface. Center / Vortex Fix The location of the center of a tropical or subtropical cyclone obtained by reconnaissance aircraft penetration, satellite, radar, or synoptic data. Central Dense Overcast A dense mass of clouds that covers and eyewall or the most tightly curved inner bands of a tropical cyclone. Central North Pacific Basin The region north of the Equator between 140W and the International Dateline. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) in Honolulu, Hawaii is responsible for tracking tropical cyclones in this region. Coriolis force The fictitious force that causes the apparent deflection of an object that is moving in a straight line in an inertial reference frame as perceived by an observer in a rotating reference frame. The effect of this force is at its minimum at the equator and increases away from it. In the synoptic scales of the atmosphere, the Coriolis force will cause flow flowing towards a low pressure area to deflect perpendicularly to the pressure gradient driving the flow. This causes the flow to rotate cyclonically about its center, producing geostrophic flow. Tropical cyclones require a minimum distance of 500 km (310 mi) from the equator to sustain tropical cyclogenesis. Cyclone An atmospheric closed circulation rotating counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

D Direct hit A close approach of a tropical cyclone to a particular location. For locations on the left-hand side of a tropical cyclone's track (looking in the direction of motion), a direct hit occurs when the cyclone passes to within a distance equal to the cyclone's radius of maximum wind. For locations on the right-hand side of the track, a direct hit occurs when the cyclone passes to within a distance equal to twice the radius of maximum wind. Compare indirect hit, strike.

E Eastern North Pacific Basin The portion of the North Pacific Ocean east of 140W. The National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida is responsible for tracking tropical cyclones in this region. Eye The roughly circular area of comparatively light winds that encompasses the center of a severe tropical cyclone. The eye is either completely or partially surrounded by the eyewall cloud. Eyewall / Wall Cloud An organized band or ring of cumulonimbus clouds that surround the eye, or light-wind center of a tropical cyclone. Eyewall and wall cloud are used synonymously. Extratropical A term used in advisories and tropical summaries to indicate that a cyclone has lost its "tropical" characteristics. The term implies both poleward displacement of the cyclone and the conversion of the cyclone's primary energy source from the release of latent heat of condensation to baroclinic (the temperature contrast between warm and cold air masses) processes. Cyclones can become extratropical and still retain winds of hurricane or tropical storm force. Extratropical cyclone A cyclone of any intensity for which the primary energy source is baroclinic, that is, results from the temperature contrast between warm and cold air masses.

F Fujiwhara effect The tendency of two nearby tropical cyclones to rotate cyclonically about each other.

G Gale Warning A warning of 1-minute or 10-minute sustained surface winds in the range 34 kn (39 mph or 63 km/h) to 47 kn (54 mph or 87 km/h) inclusive, either predicted or occurring and not directly associated with tropical cyclones.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Glossary of tropical cyclone terms

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Glossary of tropical cyclone terms claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Glossary of tropical cyclone terms before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Glossary of tropical cyclone terms ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Glossary of tropical cyclone terms

In research: Glossary of tropical cyclone terms appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Glossary of tropical cyclone terms in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Glossary of tropical cyclone terms is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Glossaries of meteorology, Tropical cyclone meteorology, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Glossary of tropical cyclone terms outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Glossary of tropical cyclone terms in simple terms?

The following is a glossary of tropical cyclone terms. A Advisory Official information issued by tropical cyclone warning centers describing all tropical cyclone watches and warnings in effect along with details concerning tropical cyclone locations, intensity and movement, and precautions that sho…

Why does Glossary of tropical cyclone terms matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Glossary of tropical cyclone terms?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Glossary of tropical cyclone terms.