What if a hurricane passes the equator?

[Gogf]

Let's say a hurricane forms in the South Hemisphere, and therefore has clock-wise winds. What happens if it crosses the equator? Do the winds change direction? Are hurricanes drawn away from the equator by the direction of their windws?

 

[Perfection]

Well Southern Atlantic hurricanes are extremely rare. I'm not sure but I'd speculateit would disorganise and then reassemble. However a crossing would bbe quite rare due to the fact that not much wind current goes from one hemisphere to the other.

 

[ainwood]

Well Southern Atlantic hurricanes are extremely rare. I'm not sure but I'd speculateit would disorganise and then reassemble. However a crossing would bbe quite rare due to the fact that not much wind current goes from one hemisphere to the other.

South pacific ones are very common

 

[Perfection]

South pacific ones are very common

Yeah, but aren't those typhoons?

 

[Gogf]

Yeah, but aren't those typhoons?

But hurricanes and typhoons are only different in name (and location).

 

[cgannon64]

It's probably obvious, but why does everything turn the other way down South?

 

[Perfection]

But hurricanes and typhoons are only different in name (and location).

Yeah, still isn't a hurricane

It's probably obvious, but why does everything turn the other way down South?

It's called the coriolis effect, it has to do with the differential rotation between the fast rotation rate of the equator and the slow rate toward the poles

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriolis_effect

 

[The Yankee]

It's probably obvious, but why does everything turn the other way down South?

Magnetic force, maybe? Or because the South is resisting us!

 

[cgannon64]

Someone needs to bring up the hilarious Simpsons joke in which Homer flushes the forcibly counter-clockwise toilet in Australia and weeps with pride while saluting it.

 

[Perfection]

Someone needs to bring up the hilarious Simpsons joke in which Homer flushes the forcibly counter-clockwise toilet in Australia and weeps with pride while saluting it.

That's false though, the Coriolis effect only is significant over large distances.

 

[cgannon64]

I presume the Coriolis effect is what makes stuff spin the opposite way, but what do you mean?

 

[Keirador]

A hurricane could not cross the equator: prevailing winds are calm at the equator itself, and from there equatorial trade winds blow northeast in the northern hemispere and southwest in the southern hemisphere.

 

[Keirador]

I presume the Coriolis effect is what makes stuff spin the opposite way, but what do you mean?

Surely you learned all this in Earth Science? Or does your Regents-less school not make you take it?

 

[SeleucusNicator]

A while ago there was actually an Atlantic hurricane that formed south of the equator and hit Brazil.

 

[cgannon64]

I never had to take Earth Science, at least since grammar school. My schedule in high school was Bio, Chem, Physics, and will be AP Physics next year. (Which translate into: Bull****, physics with a different angle, physics, physics with an AP test.)

Regents exemptions are awesome!

 

[The Yankee]

Surely you learned all this in Earth Science? Or does your Regents-less school not make you take it?

Pleh, never even learned that in Earth Science.

 

[Keirador]

No doubling up? By my graduation I will have taken Earth Science, Regents Biology (ecology), AP Biology (molecular), Physics, Chemistry, and AP Environmental Science.

 

[Keirador]

Pleh, never even learned that in Earth Science.

You must not have been paying attention. It's taught. And there are questions on it in the Regents.

 

[madviking]

A while ago there was actually an Atlantic hurricane that formed south of the equator and hit Brazil.

Cyclone Catarina here

Then there was Hurricane John in the east pacific who crossed the international date and became Typhoon John. Nothing to the topic but wuite interested, it was also the longest lived hurricane/typhhon ever recorded. here

 

[cgannon64]

No doubling up? By my graduation I will have taken Earth Science, Regents Biology (ecology), AP Biology (molecular), Physics, Chemistry, and AP Environmental Science.

Doubling up is pretty much impossible here in most subjects, with the one exception of AP Euro/AP Government Senior year.