1.Determine the classification of tropical cyclones including its origin, tracks, movement, development and the statistics.

CLASSIFICATION OF TROPICAL CYCLONES

Tropical cyclones derive their energy from the latent heat of condensation which made them exist only
over the oceans and die out rapidly on land. One of its distinguishing features is its having a central sea-
level pressure of 900 mb or lower and surface winds often exceeding 100 knots. They reach their
greatest intensity while located over warm tropical waters and they begin to weaken as they move
inland. The intensity of tropical cyclones vary, thus , we can classify them based upon their degree of
intensity.

The classification of tropical cyclones according to the strength of the associated windsas adopted by
PAGASA as of 01 May 2015 are as follows:

TROPICAL DEPRESSION (TD) - a tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of up to 61 kilometers
per hour (kph) or less than 33 nautical miles per hour (knots) .

TROPICAL STORM (TS) - a tropical cyclone with maximum wind speed of 62 to 88 kph or 34 - 47 knots.

SEVERE TROPICAL STORM (STS) , a tropical cyclone with maximum wind speed of 89 to 117 kph or 48 -
63 knots.

TYPHOON (TY) - a tropical cyclone with maximum wind speed of 118 to 220 kph or 64 - 120 knots.

SUPER TYPHOON (STY) - a tropical cyclone with maximum wind speed exceeding 220 kph or more than
120 knots.

Tropical cyclones undergo constant metamorphosis from birth through maturity to decay. They last for
about six days, in general, before they enter the land or reach sub-tropical latitudes. However, some can
be detected only a few hours or perhaps a day or two, while others are observed as long as a fortnight.

The four stages of the life history of a cyclone are:

Formative Stage

The incipient stage when the tropical cyclone form in waves and in shear lines of pre-existing
disturbances and winds usually remain below the typhoon force.

Immature Stage

The deepening stage of the cyclone during which it continues to deepen until the lowest central
pressure and the maximum wind intensity are reached. However, intensification does not usually takes
place since some have been known to die down even though the winds has attained typhoon force.

Mature Stage

The stage of maturity of the tropical cyclones where the areas of circulation expands while the surface
pressure no longer falls and no increase in maximum winds speed can be observed which may last for a
week.

Decaying Stage
The dissipating stage of the tropical cyclone where the surface pressure rises and the area affected by
the cyclones diminishes in size as it recurves or dissipate due to friction and lack of moisture over
continents or when colder and drier air enters through when they go poleward.

The following shows the regions of the world where tropical cyclones form:

Tropical North Atlantic Ocean

East of the Lesser Antilles and the Caribbean, east of 70°W during the months of July to October

North of the West Indies in June to October

Western Caribbean during the months of June and late September to early November

Gulf of Mexico during the months of June to November

Western North Pacific Ocean , including the Philippines , during the months of May to November, but
storms sometimes occur in all months.

North Pacific off the West Coast of Central America during the months of June to October.

Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea from May to June and October to November.

South Pacific Ocean, West of 140°W from December to April.

South Indian Ocean from December to April.

Northwestern Coast of Australia during the months of November to April

West of 90°E from November to May

Tropical cyclones form over oceans of the World except in the South Atlantic ocean and in the South
eastern Pacific. During the Southern Hemisphere Summer, the intertropical front in these areas moves
only a degree or so south of the equator which is not far enough for the coriolis force to become
effective. Tropical cyclones are very rare within 5° latitude of the equator.

In the Pacific Ocean, the tropical cyclones that form normally move slowly towards the west or west
northwest, threatening the Philippines. They usually move at an average speed of 19 kilometers per
hour, often guided by the main airstream above them. Those that form in the South China Sea move
generally northward or toward the northeast which also affects the Philippines.

Below are the frequencies of tropical cyclones per 10 years in the different areas where tropical cyclones
are formed:

North Atlantic Ocean - 73

North Pacific, off West Coast of Mexico - 57

North Pacific Ocean, west of 170°E - 211

North Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal - 60

North Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea - 15

South Indian Ocean, Northwestern Australia – 9

2.Explain the hurricanes and its wind and pressure including the eye and the wall based on the national hurricane center
projection

The main parts of a tropical cyclone are the rainbands, the eye, and the eyewall. Air spirals in toward the
center in a counter-clockwise pattern in the northern hemisphere (clockwise in the southern
hemisphere), and out the top in the opposite direction.

In the very center of the storm, air sinks, forming an "eye" that is mostly cloud-free.

The Eye

The hurricane's center is a relatively calm, generally clear area of sinking air and light winds that usually
do not exceed 15 mph (24 km/h) and is typically 20-40 miles (32-64 km) across. An eye will usually
develop when the maximum sustained wind speeds go above 74 mph (119 km/h) and is the calmest part
of the storm. 

But why does an eye form? The cause of eye formation is still not fully understood. It probably has to do
with the combination of "the conservation of angular momentum" and centrifugal force. The
conservation of angular momentum means is objects will spin faster as they move toward the center of
circulation. So, air increases it speed as it heads toward the center of the tropical cyclone.

One way of looking at this is watching figure skaters spin. The closer they hold their hands to the body,
the faster they spin. Conversely, the farther the hands are from the body the slower they spin. In
tropical cyclone, as the air moves toward the center, the speed must increase.

However, as the speed increases, an outward-directed force, called the centrifugal force, occurs because
the wind's momentum wants to carry the wind in a straight line. Since the wind is turning about the
center of the tropical cyclone, there is a pull outward. The sharper the curvature, and/or the faster the
rotation, the stronger is the centrifugal force.

Around 74 mph (119 km/h) the strong rotation of air around the cyclone balances inflow to the center,
causing air to ascend about 10-20 miles (16-32 km) from the center forming the eyewall. This strong
rotation also creates a vacuum of air at the center, causing some of the air flowing out the top of the
eyewall to turn inward and sink to replace the loss of air mass near the center.

This sinking air suppresses cloud formation, creating a pocket of generally clear air in the center. People
experiencing an eye passage at night often see stars.

Trapped birds are sometimes seen circling in the eye, and ships trapped in a hurricane report hundreds
of exhausted birds resting on their decks. The landfall of Hurricane Gloria (1985) on southern New
England was accompanied by thousands of birds in the eye.

The sudden change of very strong winds to a near calm state is a dangerous situation for people
ignorant about a hurricane's structure.
Some people experiencing light wind and fair weather of an eye may think the hurricane has passed.
Actually, the storm is only half over with dangerous eyewall winds returning shortly, this time from the
opposite direction.

The Eyewall

Where the strong wind gets as close as it can is the eyewall. The eyewall consists of a ring of tall
thunderstorms that produce heavy rains and usually the strongest winds. Changes in the structure of the
eye and eyewall can cause changes in the wind speed, which is an indicator of the storm's intensity. The
eye can grow or shrink in size, and double (concentric) eyewalls can form.

In intense tropical cyclones, some of the outer rainbands may organize into an outer ring of
thunderstorms that slowly moves inward and robs the inner eyewall of its needed moisture and
momentum. During this phase, the tropical cyclone is weakening.

Eventually the outer eyewall replaces the inner one completely and the storm can be the same intensity
as it was previously or, in some cases, even stronger.

Rainbands

Curved bands of clouds and thunderstorms that trail away from the eye wall in a spiral fashion. These
bands are capable of producing heavy bursts of rain and wind, as well as tornadoes. There are
sometimes gaps in between spiral rain bands where no rain or wind is found.

In fact, if one were to travel between the outer edge of a hurricane to its center, one would normally
progress from light rain and wind, to dry and weak breeze, then back to increasingly heavier rainfall and
stronger wind, over and over again with each period of rainfall and wind being more intense and lasting
longer.

Tropical Cyclone Size

Typical hurricane strength tropical cyclones are about 300 miles (483 km) wide although they can vary
considerably.

Size is not necessarily an indication of hurricane intensity. Hurricane Andrew (1992), the second most
devastating hurricane to hit the United States, next to Katrina in 2005, was a relatively small hurricane.
3.Explain the different side of a tropical storm and its trapped fetch ,Side of a Tropical Storm ,including fetch.

The Right Side of the StormAs a general rule of thumb, the hurricane's right side (relative to the
direction it is travelling) is the most dangerous part of the storm because of the additive effect of the
hurricane wind speed and speed of the larger atmospheric flow (the steering winds). The increased
winds on the right side increase the storm surge described in the Hazards section of this module.
Tornadoes are also more common here.Looking at the figure above, pretend you are standing behind
the hurricane with your back to the steering flow. In this case, the right side is the eastern section of the
hurricane. (If it were travelling east to west, the right side would be the north section.) The winds
around the hurricane's eye are moving in a counterclockwise fashion. At Point A, the hurricane winds
are nearly in line with the steering wind, adding to the strength of the winds. For example, if the
steering currents are 30 mph and the average hurricane winds are 100 mph, the wind speed would be
130 mph at Point A. On the other hand, the winds at Point B are moving opposite those of the steering
wind and therefore slow to 70 mph (100 - 30 mph). Incidentally, NHC forecasts take this effect into
account in their official wind estimates

.4. Explain on how to maneuver to avoid the storm.

If possible, it is best to be at least 200 miles off to avoid any possibility of danger altogether. Make good
speed. A vessel speeding in the vicinity of 20 knots, following a course taking her away from the eye, can
easily outstrip an approaching Tropical Storm (TRS). TRS move rather slow

5.Determine the causes, wind-driven and density of the ocean currents including regions of primary ocean currents.

Ocean currents are driven by wind, water density differences, and tides.

Oceanic currents describe the movement of water from one location to another. Currents are generally
measured in meters per second or in knots (1 knot = 1.85 kilometers per hour or 1.15 miles per hour).
Oceanic currents are driven by three main factors:

1. The rise and fall of the tides. Tides create a current in the oceans, which are strongest near the shore,
and in bays and estuaries along the coast. These are called "tidal currents." Tidal currents change in a
very regular pattern and can be predicted for future dates. In some locations, strong tidal currents can
travel at speeds of eight knots or more.

2. Wind. Winds drive currents that are at or near the ocean's surface. Near coastal areas winds tend to
drive currents on a localized scale and can result in phenomena like coastal upwelling. On a more global
scale, in the open ocean, winds drive currents that circulate water for thousands of miles throughout the
ocean basins.

3. Thermohaline circulation. This is a process driven by density differences in water due to temperature

Currents affect the Earth's climate by driving warm water from the Equator and cold water from the
poles around the Earth. The warm Gulf Stream, for instance, brings milder winter weather to Bergen,
Norway, than to New York, much further south
6.Explain the oceanic circulation of the currents in Southern Ocean , Atlantic Ocean , Pacific Ocean ,Indian
Ocean , Arctic Ocean.

The main current in the Southern Ocean is the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), which flows from
west to east, all the way around Antarctica. The ACC is the biggest current in the world and can
transport up to 150 billion litres per second of water and reach speeds in narrow channels of up to 1
metre per second. This is equivalent to 150 times the water contained in all the rivers in the world, or
the same as the water contained in 75,000 Olympic swimming pools going past every second! The
volume of water that is transported by the ACC is so large, not because it flows fast, but because it
reaches from the ocean surface down 4,000 metres to the sea floor, and stretches from just south of
New Zealand to most of the way to Antarctica
Driven by the global thermohaline circulation, the North Atlantic Current is part of the wind-driven Gulf
Stream, which goes further east and north from the North American coast across the Atlantic and into
the Arctic Ocean

the movement known as the North Pacific Current. The surface waters of the Bering Sea circulate in a
counterclockwise direction. The southward extension of the Kamchatka Current forms the cold Oya
Current, which flows to the east of the Japanese island of Honshu to meet the warm Kuroshio waters in

The Indian Ocean gyre is composed of two major currents: the South Equatorial Current, and the West
Australian Current. Normally moving counter-clockwise, in the winter the Indian Ocean gyre reverses
direction due to the seasonal winds of the South Asian Monsoon.

The Arctic Ocean plays two roles in the global ocean circulation — it provides an oceanic pathway
between the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans; and it also takes an Atlantic input, modifies it, and returns it
to the Atlantic