Chapter #12.2 Solutions - Understanding Weather and Climate - James E Burt, Edward Aguado - 7th Edition

1fsw. 2005—A Historic Hurricane SeasonThe period between 1995 and 2005 was marked by an unusually high number of Atlantic tropical storms and hurricanes, with many making landfall. Of the 10 seasons during this time span, all but two had at least eight hurricanes—well above the annual average of 5.9. But 2004 and 2005 were particularly noteworthy. The year 2004 was the costliest hurricane season to hit the United States up to that time, bringing $42 billion in losses. Hurricanes damaged one-fifth of all the homes in Florida and killed 117 people that year. Incredibly, that devastation was dwarfed by the hurricane season that hit the following year. The year 2005 produced one of the greatest natural disasters in U.S. history—Hurricane Katrina—and several other major hurricanes that made landfall; in addition, it proved to be the most active tropical storm-hurricane season in American history, with 27 named storms (breaking a record set in 1933).Two noteworthy hurricanes of the 2005 season are summarized here and plotted in Figure 12-2-1. Given its enormous death toll and destruction, we discuss Hurricane Katrina separately later in this chapter.Hurricane Rita, September 18-25,2005Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina (see Box 12-4, Focus on Severe Weather: Hurricane Katrina, later in this chapter) only a few weeks earlier, Hurricane Rita became the second Category 5 hurricane to develop in the Gulf of Mexico that year—the first time in recorded history that two such powerful storms had ever occurred in the Gulf in the same season. (Hurricane Wilma also achieved Category 5 status in the Caribbean Sea that year, but it lost Category 5 intensity before moving into the Gulf.) At its worst, Rita was a monster storm. Its maximum wind speeds topped out at 280 km/hr (175 mph), hurricane-force winds extended 110 km (70 mi) away from the center, and tropical storm-force winds reached out to 295 km (185 mi). Its minimum sea-level air pressure of 897 mb was the third lowest ever observed in the Atlantic Ocean.Hurricane Rita’s first brush with land occurred as it passed south of the Florida Keys on September 20 as a Category 2 hurricane. As it moved westward, the hurricane rapidly intensified and reached Category 5 status on the afternoon of September 21. With the public very much aware of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, citizens along much of the Gulf Coast took the call for evacuation very seriously, causing massive traffic problems in east Texas as an estimated 3 million people headed inland.Rita struck the Texas coast just west of Louisiana as a Category 3 storm on September 23. It delivered hurricane-force winds to areas as far inland as 240 km (150 mi) and tropical storm-force winds as far north as southern Arkansas. Storm surges as high as 4.6 m (15 ft), though smaller than originally feared, caused very serious flooding and the total destruction or major damage of several communities.In addition, a 2.4 m (8 ft) storm surge in New Orleans reopened several breaches in the levees that had been temporarily repaired following Hurricane Katrina. Overall damage from Hurricane Rita was very large but far short of that brought about by Hurricane Katrina. About 120 people died as a result of the storm.Hurricane Wilma, October 17-25,2005Wilma was the 12th hurricane to hit the western Atlantic or Caribbean in 2005, having grown explosively from tropical storm to Category 5 hurricane in less than 24 hoursl Its sea-level air pressure of 884 mb was the lowest ever observed in the Atlantic.Wilma scored a direct hit on the Yucatan Peninsula, where an estimated 22,000 tourists and many more residents sought shelter from the 200 km/hr (125 mph) winds and heavy downpours. Meanwhile, 700,000 people had been evacuated from the west side of Cuba in anticipation of the heavy flooding that hit that portion of the island. Wilma moved rapidly northeastward across the Gulf of Mexico toward the southwestern coast of Florida. It hit the western Gulf Coast as a Category 3 hurricane, causing storm surges up to 2.75 m (9 ft) and extensive flooding, especially in Key West. The Miami and Ft. Lauderdale areas experienced considerable wind damage with millions of people losing electric power for extended time periods. In all, over 60 people were killed and damages were estimated at $29 billion.FIGURE 12-2-1 2005 Hurricanes. The paths of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma in 2005....What are two aspects of the 2005 hurricane season that made it particularly noteworthy? Get solution

2fsw. 2005—A Historic Hurricane SeasonThe period between 1995 and 2005 was marked by an unusually high number of Atlantic tropical storms and hurricanes, with many making landfall. Of the 10 seasons during this time span, all but two had at least eight hurricanes—well above the annual average of 5.9. But 2004 and 2005 were particularly noteworthy. The year 2004 was the costliest hurricane season to hit the United States up to that time, bringing $42 billion in losses. Hurricanes damaged one-fifth of all the homes in Florida and killed 117 people that year. Incredibly, that devastation was dwarfed by the hurricane season that hit the following year. The year 2005 produced one of the greatest natural disasters in U.S. history—Hurricane Katrina—and several other major hurricanes that made landfall; in addition, it proved to be the most active tropical storm-hurricane season in American history, with 27 named storms (breaking a record set in 1933).Two noteworthy hurricanes of the 2005 season are summarized here and plotted in Figure 12-2-1. Given its enormous death toll and destruction, we discuss Hurricane Katrina separately later in this chapter.Hurricane Rita, September 18-25,2005Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina (see Box 12-4, Focus on Severe Weather: Hurricane Katrina, later in this chapter) only a few weeks earlier, Hurricane Rita became the second Category 5 hurricane to develop in the Gulf of Mexico that year—the first time in recorded history that two such powerful storms had ever occurred in the Gulf in the same season. (Hurricane Wilma also achieved Category 5 status in the Caribbean Sea that year, but it lost Category 5 intensity before moving into the Gulf.) At its worst, Rita was a monster storm. Its maximum wind speeds topped out at 280 km/hr (175 mph), hurricane-force winds extended 110 km (70 mi) away from the center, and tropical storm-force winds reached out to 295 km (185 mi). Its minimum sea-level air pressure of 897 mb was the third lowest ever observed in the Atlantic Ocean.Hurricane Rita’s first brush with land occurred as it passed south of the Florida Keys on September 20 as a Category 2 hurricane. As it moved westward, the hurricane rapidly intensified and reached Category 5 status on the afternoon of September 21. With the public very much aware of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, citizens along much of the Gulf Coast took the call for evacuation very seriously, causing massive traffic problems in east Texas as an estimated 3 million people headed inland.Rita struck the Texas coast just west of Louisiana as a Category 3 storm on September 23. It delivered hurricane-force winds to areas as far inland as 240 km (150 mi) and tropical storm-force winds as far north as southern Arkansas. Storm surges as high as 4.6 m (15 ft), though smaller than originally feared, caused very serious flooding and the total destruction or major damage of several communities.In addition, a 2.4 m (8 ft) storm surge in New Orleans reopened several breaches in the levees that had been temporarily repaired following Hurricane Katrina. Overall damage from Hurricane Rita was very large but far short of that brought about by Hurricane Katrina. About 120 people died as a result of the storm.Hurricane Wilma, October 17-25,2005Wilma was the 12th hurricane to hit the western Atlantic or Caribbean in 2005, having grown explosively from tropical storm to Category 5 hurricane in less than 24 hoursl Its sea-level air pressure of 884 mb was the lowest ever observed in the Atlantic.Wilma scored a direct hit on the Yucatan Peninsula, where an estimated 22,000 tourists and many more residents sought shelter from the 200 km/hr (125 mph) winds and heavy downpours. Meanwhile, 700,000 people had been evacuated from the west side of Cuba in anticipation of the heavy flooding that hit that portion of the island. Wilma moved rapidly northeastward across the Gulf of Mexico toward the southwestern coast of Florida. It hit the western Gulf Coast as a Category 3 hurricane, causing storm surges up to 2.75 m (9 ft) and extensive flooding, especially in Key West. The Miami and Ft. Lauderdale areas experienced considerable wind damage with millions of people losing electric power for extended time periods. In all, over 60 people were killed and damages were estimated at $29 billion.FIGURE 12-2-1 2005 Hurricanes. The paths of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma in 2005....Which areas received the worst effects of Hurricanes Rita and Wilma? Get solution


Chapter #17 Solutions - Understanding Weather and Climate - James E Burt, Edward Aguado - 7th Edition

1c. What happens to light if it enters a medium of higher density? Get solution 1ct. Consider the way the apparent position of the...