Tropical Trivia - Answer Key


Easy Quiz 1 Answers

1. Texas. Tropical cyclones do not form over land.
2. Tropical cyclone with sustained winds less then 39 mph.
3. Weather dart board.
4. False. The water is too cold near Alaska to support tropical cyclone development.
5. By the World Meteorological Organization
6. False.
7. Eye. The eye is the most distinguishing feature of a hurricane.
8. Use the Greek alphabet
9. "National Hurricane Center"
10. A region of light winds near the equator

1. Plan your next party.
2. A weather model of air flow in the tropics.
3. Sea wall.
4. 6.
5. False. Names are given to make hurricane recognition easier by the public.
6. Put gas in your car.
7. Hurricane. Hurricanes have the combination of strength and size to cause the most damage.
8. 5.
9. Counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere.
10. True. TropicalWeather.net interprets their own forecasts and simply to not copy the Hurricane Center's like many others do.

1. Widespread hail. Sometimes hail is encountered by the Hurricane Hunters, but it is extremely rare for it to be seen on the ground.
2. False. The most damage usually is from storm surge, high winds and sometimes heavy inland rainfall.
3. Put gas in your car. All of the other activities should be done to prepare you before the hurricane season.
4. Large open room. Objects can easily hit you in an open room.
5. Open windows to equalize pressure. This is a myth. Strong wind destroy a house, not a pressure difference.
6. Satellite. Radar and Hurricane Hunter information may not be available. Ships usually are not near the center of a hurricane.
7. All of the above
8. Blow in the opposite direction
9. Both B and C
10. True

1. No moisture source for energy.
2. category 3, 4, or 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
3. Evacuate immediately. There is no need to evacuate until offical authorities has told you to do so.
4. Japan. Hurricanes are called "Typhoons" near Japan.
5. June 1 to November 30.
6. 74 mph.
7. Island term for "god of evil".
8. South Atlantic Ocean. There has been only one recorded tropical cyclone in the south Atlantic Ocean.
9. 870 millibars.
10. Katrina.

1. Central Dense Overcast. This is a name for the cloud structure near the center of a hurricane.
2. Cloud seeding.
3. None of the above.
4. 1935 Florida Keys. The pressure dropped down to 892 mb. Hurricane Wilma had a lower pressure, but not while making landfall in the U.S..
5. Heat and moisture from the ocean. A hurricane's power comes from the latent heat of condensation and the sensible heat from warm ocean water.
6. Hurricane conditions may affect the area within 36 hours.
7. Hurricane conditions are expected within 24 hours.
8. Air temperature.
9. Members of the 53rd weather reconnaissance squadron.
10. It's possible, but there isn't enough data to know for sure. Warming of the earth is occuring, but its relationship to hurricanes has not been determined conclusively yet.

1. 300-400 miles.
2. 20-30 miles.
3. Rain bands. There is more wind shear found in the rain bands then in the eye wall, especially as they cross land.
4. The forward motion is added to the wind strength.
5. Bangaldesh. High potential storm surge combined with a large population in a flood prone region can cause high loss of life.
6. A hurricane formed in the south Atlantic Ocean.
7. False. Heavy tropical rain without lightning is much more common.
8. False. The highest storm surge and strong winds occured on the Mississippi coast.
9. True. Years ago, without advanced warning, storm surge caused the most deaths.
10. False. Tape offers little additional support. Boards or shutters are necessary for proper protection.

1. Historic flooding in the Mid-Atlantic.
2. 64 pounds. This is how storm surge can batter buildings and other structures.
3. Katrina.
4. Eye wall several thousand feet above the ground. The effects of friction diminish the wind speed near the ground.
5. 2 miles.
6. Mostly strong winds, some low pressure effects.
7. Inland flooding. Most deaths from a hurricane now occur because of inland flash flooding.
8. Very stable air.
9. Easterly waves.
10. Wind shear. Water temperatures are sufficient enough to support tropcial cyclone development over a very large region of the north Atlantic.

1. 112 feet. Measured from the USS Ramapo in the western Pacific in February 1933.
2. 4. It has been recorded twice . The first times was August 22, 1893. The second time was on September 25, 1998.
3. 6.
4. 10.
5. 84.
6. 45.
7. 15.
8. Decreases season activity. El nino, especially strong ones, tend to increase wind shear over the Caribbean.
9. 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
10. Wilma. The pressure was estimated by a Hurricane Hunter at 882 mb.

1. Hazel.
2. Maine. The Mid-Atlantic coast is not as far east as Maine, so is usually not affected as often.
3. Rhode Island.
4. 60.
5. 1953.
6. Alice.
7. 1979.
8. Bob.
9. 870 mb. Typhoon Tip in the western Pacific in 1979.
10. 190 mph. It has happened a few times. Hurricane Camille in 1969 and Hurricane Allen in 1980.

1. 39-73 mph.
2. May 15 - November 30.
3. Florida Keys. The Florida Keys have had 24, Cape Hatteras, NC 20.
4. 224". Commerson, La Reunion from Tropical Cyclone Hyacinthe, January 1980.
5. Allen / Camille. Hurricane "Dog" and Hurricane Gilbert are next with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph.
6. September 10.
7. Increasing swell. Swell can be proprogated well in advance of an approaching hurricane. This was a sign of an approaching hurricane before the modern era.
8. 6.
9. Ivan. Ivan - 127, Beulah - 115, Frances - 106, Rita - 92
10. 72 inches. Tropical Cyclone Denise produced 72 inches of rain in 24 hours in Foc-Foc, La Reunion in 1966.