Hurricanes as Heat Engines
|
See Conceptual Image Lab animation #10049 for additional Hurricane Heat Engines material.
|
|
|
|
As water vapor evaporates from the warm ocean surface, it is forced upward in the convective clouds that surround the eyewall and rainband regions of a storm. As the water vapor cools and condenses from a gas back to a liquid state, it releases latent heat. The release of latent heat warms the surrounding air, making it lighter and thus promoting more vigorous cloud development.
Duration: 13.0 seconds
Available formats:
320x240 (15 fps)
QT
1 MB
320x240 (15 fps)
QT
1 MB
320x240
JPEG
9 KB
320x240
JPEG
8 KB
How to play our movies
|
|
|
|
The release of latent heat warms the surrounding air,
making it lighter and thus promoting more vigorous cloud development.
Available formats:
640 x 480
TIFF
304 KB
320 x 240
JPEG
10 KB
160 x 80
PNG
57 KB
|
|
|
|
Two hurricances approaching the coast of the United States, with the second hurricance slowed due to cooler waters caused by the track of the first.
Available formats:
720 x 486
TIFF
1022 KB
160 x 80
PNG
18 KB
320 x 216
JPEG
6 KB
80 x 40
PNG
4 KB
|
|
Back to Top
|