Hurricanes

A hurricane is the largest storm on the Earth at over 1,000 miles wide and 10 miles high; they can cause billions of dollars in flooding and wind damage.

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Hurricanes start in the tropics, where the ocean is at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit for the first 165 feet below the surface, heated by energy from the sun. Wind blowing over the surface causes water to evaporate and form clouds. The evaporation condenses into cumulonimbus clouds, and becomes a thunderstorm. As it moves over the ocean, the process continues, building high columns of clouds. Then, a pattern develops with wind blowing around and through the storm like water flowing down a drain. As it encounters more clouds, the size of the storm increases.

 

As the cooling water vapor in the clouds releases heat energy, the top of the clouds warms, causing winds to blow away from the center of the storm. This movement and warming also causes air pressure at the surface to drop, and more air comes in to fill the void, intensifying the storm. Because this process is recursive, the storm continues to be fueled as long it is over warm, open water. Because of this, it tends to die out when it reaches land.