Today we will create a cartoon strip of the life cycle of a hurricane, from birth somewhere off the coast of Africa to its end in the Atlantic or over North America.We will start with the first 5 steps.There are nine steps needed in order for a hurricane to form.
#1 - Thunderstorms form along the coast of Africa
#2 - Trade Winds blow the storm west.
#3 - Warm air over the ocean heats up, becoming less dense, and rises.
#4 - This create low pressure near the ocean's surface.
#5 - New air rushes into this low pressure area.
#6 - The new air warms up and rises, creating a cycle.
#7 - Moisture rich air near the top of this cycle cools down, creating storm clouds called rain bands.
#8 - Due to pressure, air flattens out and starts to spin. The Coriolis Effect, caused by the spinning of the earth, causes storms to spin counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere.
#9 - In the center of the storm there is an area of low pressure where it is very calm, this is called the eye.
Here are some photos to help you get started.
