Author Question: What are the characteristics of tropical cyclones and extratropical cyclones? Compare and contrast ... (Read 104 times)

mp14 · **on:** Aug 22, 2018

What are the characteristics of tropical cyclones and extratropical cyclones? Compare and contrast
these two kinds of large storms. What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Why is there a difference in the heat budget at various latitudes despite the Earth as a whole having a
balanced heat budget? What happens at polar and tropical latitudes? What will be an ideal response?

bd5255 · **Reply #1 on:** Aug 22, 2018

Answer to Question 1

ANS:Answer
should include:
Extratropical cyclones form between two air masses. Specifically, they form between
Ferrel and polar cells. These areas are also known as polar fronts. They move eastward,
and are able to generate large frontal storms where warm and cold fronts meet.
Extratropical storms are most common in the winter seasons of each hemisphere. This is
due to large differences in temperature and density across the polar front.
Tropical cyclones are large masses of warm, humid, rotating air. Unlike the extratropical
cyclones, they form within a single air mass. They tend to move westward.
Both tropical and extratropical cyclones are large rotating storms with masses of low
pressure air in which winds converge and lift. They move counterclockwise in the
Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in Southern Hemisphere.

Answer to Question 2

ANS:Answer
should include:
The heat budget varies with latitude because the sun hits latitudes at different angles
which then alters the distribution area of that solar radiation.
Polar latitudes receive the sun's radiation from a very low angle. Although the amount of
radiation from the sun is constant, the distribution of that radiation spreads over a larger
area. Also, the radiation must travel through more of the atmosphere before reaching the
surface of the Earth. These factors contribute to a high level of reflection of light energy
in these regions.
Tropical latitudes receive the sun's radiation from a nearly vertical angle. The same
amount of solar energy being projected to the poles is concentrated into a smaller area.
There is less atmosphere to travel through and minimal reflection.
There is more solar energy received in tropical latitudes than polar latitudes