Hurricane Tracking Lab Part I Plot

Hurricane Tracking Labname Part I Plo

Hurricane Tracking Lab Name ________________________________ Part I: Plotting the Track of Hurricane Katrina On the “Atlantic Basin Hurricane Tracking Chart†on the next page, plot the position of Hurricane Katrina from day to day using the latitude and longitude in the chart below. LABEL each plotted position with the date from the chart below. Connect the points with a line. 1. Did Hurricane Katrina make landfall? If so, when and where? (Include all occurrences). 2. What was the category of the storm when it made landfall? 3. Where was the storm located when it intensified to its strongest category? 4. Where was the storm located when it began to dissipate? Part II: Plotting the Intensity of Hurricane Katrina Below are two graphs one on top of the other. The top graph is for Air Pressure and the bottom graph is for wind speed. Both the x and y axes have already been labeled for you. Use the data from the Hurricane Katrina chart on the first page, and plot the air pressure and wind speed on the appropriate graphs below. 5. What is the relationship between air pressure and wind speed as shown above in the graph? 6. What caused the increase in wind speed seen in the graph? 7. Describe what happened to air pressure and wind speed when the Hurricane Katrina made landfall. Part III: Plotting the track of Hurricane Irene On the “Atlantic Basin Hurricane Tracking Chart†on the next page, plot the position of Hurricane Irene from day to day using the latitude and longitude in the chart below. LABEL each plotted position with the date from the chart below. Connect the points with a line. 8. Did Hurricane Irene make landfall? If so, when and where? (Include all occurrences). 9. What was the category of the storm when it made landfall? 10. Where was the storm located when it intensified to its strongest category? 11. Where was the storm located when it began to dissipate? Part IV: Final Analysis 12. What general compass direction do the hurricanes you plotted travel initially? 13. As the hurricanes progress, describe how their direction changes. 14. At what latitude do hurricanes appear to change direction? Was this the same for both storms? 15. Why did Hurricanes Irene and Katrina follow the tracks they did? What controls the track of a hurricane? 16. Why do hurricanes dissipate when they move over land over travel into the midlatitudes? 17. The category of a storm is one factor that will determine the human impact of a hurricane. Describe at least 2 other factors that will impact how big the storms impact is on people.

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

Hurricanes are among the most powerful and destructive weather phenomena on Earth. Their trajectories and intensities are influenced by various atmospheric and oceanic factors. This report traces the paths of two significant hurricanes—Katrina and Irene—analyzing their development, movement, and dissipation patterns, as well as their potential impact on affected populations. By plotting their tracks and examining changes in their intensity, this study aims to deepen understanding of hurricane behavior and the factors controlling their paths and strength.

Part I: Tracking Hurricane Katrina

Using the Atlantic Basin Hurricane Tracking Chart, the positions of Hurricane Katrina from the initial formation in the Gulf of Mexico through landfall and dissipation were plotted based on recorded latitude and longitude data. The plotted points, labeled with dates, formed a clear path aligned with the storm’s progression. Katrina's track showed a northwest movement initially, then veering more northward as it approached Louisiana.

Katrina made landfall on August 29, 2005, near Buras-Triumph, Louisiana, with a maximum intensity categorized as a Category 3 storm, although it was considered a Category 5 at its peak over the Gulf. After landfall, the storm weakened rapidly due to friction and interaction with land surfaces, leading to dissipation inland.

Part II: Intensity Analysis of Hurricane Katrina

Plotting the air pressure and wind speed over time revealed an inverse relationship. As the storm intensified, air pressure dropped significantly, reaching a minimum of approximately 902 mb during the peak, while wind speeds increased to over 175 mph, indicating extreme strength. The graphs demonstrated that a decrease in atmospheric pressure correlates with an increase in wind speed, following the typical cyclone energy cycle.

The sharp increase in wind speed was triggered by the storm’s intensification over warm Gulf waters, which supplied energy for stronger convection and wind acceleration. During landfall, both air pressure and wind speed changed markedly: pressure increased as the storm weakened, and wind speeds decreased correspondingly, though some residual wind activity persisted for a time.

Part III: Tracking Hurricane Irene

Plotting Irene’s path on the chart showed an initially eastward movement followed by a shift westward and then northward along the eastern U.S. coast. Irene made landfall in North Carolina on August 27, 2011, with a maximum category of 3, after progressing through the Atlantic and U.S. coastline. The storm’s strongest position was over the Atlantic Ocean off the North Carolina coast, where the wind speeds and pressures indicated peak intensity. As it moved inland, the storm’s intensity decreased, leading to dissipation by the time it reached Virginia and further north.

Part IV: Final Analysis

Initially, hurricane tracks tend to follow a northwest or westward trajectory, influenced primarily by the steering currents of the prevailing atmospheric patterns, specifically the subtropical high-pressure systems. As hurricanes progress, their paths often change; Irene initially moved eastward before turning north along the coastline, whereas Katrina initially tracked northwestward before veering westward.

The change in direction generally occurs around 20-30° North latitude, where mid-latitude westerlies and other atmospheric steering mechanisms exert influence. Both storms followed similar patterns, though their tracks were influenced by different atmospheric conditions: Katrina was steered primarily by a Bermuda high and trough, while Irene's path was affected by mid-latitude westerlies and a blocking high-pressure system.

Hurricanes weaken when they move over land due to increased friction, loss of warm ocean water as an energy source, and interaction with land features. Moving into midlatitudes often results in increased wind shear and cooler temperatures, which further dissipate the storm’s energy.

Apart from the storm’s category, other factors such as its size and speed significantly impact human vulnerability. Larger storms can cause more widespread damage, and slower-moving storms tend to produce prolonged heavy rainfall, resulting in higher flooding risk.

Conclusion

Understanding the tracks and intensities of hurricanes like Katrina and Irene offers insights into their behavior and potential impacts. Continuous monitoring and analysis of atmospheric conditions, sea surface temperatures, and steering currents are vital for predicting their paths and preparing for their effects on communities.

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