ESS5
Prof.
Jin-Yi Yu
q Hurricanes form only over deep (several tens
of meters) water layers
with surface temperatures in excess of 27
oC.
q Poleward of
about 20o, water temperatures
are usually below this
threshold
q Hurricanes are most frequent in late summer
and early autumn during
high SST times
q Coriolis force is an important contributor, and as such, hurricanes do not form equatorward of 5o.
q Need an unstable atmosphere: available in the
western tropical ocean bur
not in the eastern parts of the ocean.
qStrong vertical shear must be absent for
hurricane formation.
Conditions
Necessary for Hurricane Formation