The Birth of a Storm: Cyclone Formation Quiz

If heat makes molecules spread out, then warm air becomes lighter (less dense) than cold air; if air is lighter than its surroundings, then it must rise upward.

If "tropical cyclone" is the general scientific term, and if "typhoon" is the specific name used in the Northwest Pacific, then they are the same type of weather system.

If the air rises most violently just outside the calm center, then the clouds forming that ring (the eyewall) will contain the storm's most intense winds and rain.

If the sun heats the ocean, then liquid water molecules move fast enough to escape into the air; if they become a gas, the process is defined as evaporation.

If the Coriolis effect pulls winds to the right in the North, and if these winds move toward a low-pressure center, then the resulting spiral must move counter-clockwise.

If the winds in a cyclone spin faster toward the center but cannot reach the absolute middle due to centrifugal force, then a calm, low-pressure area forms called the "eye."

If evaporation provides the "fuel" for a storm, and if high evaporation rates only occur when water is sufficiently warm, then a temperature of at least 26.5°C is required to trigger formation.

If a cyclone requires massive energy to lift air, and if warm ocean water provides heat and moisture through evaporation, then the thermal energy from the water is the primary fuel source.

If air rises rapidly in the center of a storm, then there is less air pressing down on the surface; if there is less air pressing down, then the center is a zone of low pressure.

If low pressure lifts the ocean surface and strong winds push water toward the shore, then the resulting "mound" of water that floods the land is called a storm surge.

If a cyclone is fueled by warm water vapor, and if land provides no water vapor and creates friction, then the cyclone loses its energy source and weakens.

If scientists need to find the low-pressure center of a cyclone, and if a barometer is the tool designed to sense atmospheric weight, then it is used to measure air pressure.

If a cyclone consists of rotating moist air and low pressure, then it will naturally bring wind and rain; if the low pressure and wind push the sea upward, then it also causes a storm surge.

If the Earth rotates, then the Coriolis effect deflects winds; if the deflection is right in the North and left in the South, then cyclones must rotate in opposite directions in each hemisphere.

If the Earth is a rotating sphere, then moving air is deflected rather than moving in a straight line; if this deflection creates a circular path, then it is known as the Coriolis effect.

If water evaporates it absorbs energy, and if it condenses back into liquid it must release that energy; if this "latent" heat warms the surrounding air, it causes more air to rise and powers the storm.

If a tropical cyclone forms in the Atlantic or Northeast Pacific, then the regional name given to that specific weather event is a "hurricane."

If the Coriolis effect is necessary to make air spin, and if the Coriolis effect is zero at the Equator, then cyclones cannot start their rotation exactly on the Equator.

If a cyclone needs fuel (warm water), building blocks (moist air), and a spinning force (Earth's rotation), then these three specific conditions must be present simultaneously.

If a cyclone needs a vertical chimney of rising air to stay organized, and if high wind shear tilts or breaks that chimney, then high wind shear actually prevents cyclone growth.