The Chinese call this natural phenomenon the “ring of iron winds,” and the South Americans and Europeans call it a typhoon. The air in this case is not intangible and fluid, since it is already quite solid matter, striking like military projectiles! So, in this article we will learn what a typhoon is and how it is formed.
Through eyewitnesses
Any person who has the imprudence to unsuccessfully dive into the water, jumping from a great height, knows that even such liquid matter as water can be so solid that it causes significant pain to the body. So the typhoon works on the same principle: the air during this tropical cyclone becomes solid, like a wall.
What is a typhoon? In the chronicles describing cases of collisions of people with these tropical cyclones, there is a story that most accurately describes it. One experienced captain of a merchant ship described this element with the following words: “A typhoon is not a wind, it is a wall. It is made of iron. " It is understandable: the wind blowing at a speed of 200 km / h will be 4 times more powerful than air currents, the speed of which is 100 km / h. Why? All the fault is the energy of the moving mass, which increases in proportion to the square of its speed.
Many people know firsthand what a typhoon is. Witnesses in horror describe the situation prevailing inside this cyclone. According to them, around the air becomes completely invisible, and a kind of braid passes above the ground. “This is not bad weather, this is a real national disaster!” - Surviving eyewitnesses of the riot of the natural elements notice. According to them, a powerful “iron” wind uproots not only huge trees, but also grass.
What is a typhoon? Definition
Translated from Chinese, “typhoon” is “strong wind”, and translated from Greek is “typhon” (a mystical monster representing wind, hurricanes and storms). This element is a variety of tropical cyclone, typical of the north-west of the Pacific Ocean. The greatest decrease in air pressure on the surface is observed in the central part of the typhoon.
Where do they occur, these cyclones?
According to the reports of seismologists and meteorologists, the zone of greatest activity of these tropical cyclones, which, unfortunately, accounts for one third of the total number of various elements on our planet, lies between the coast of East Asia (in the west), the equator (in the south) and the line of change dates (in the east). Seismologists have calculated that most of all typhoons are formed from May to November. Nevertheless, in recent years, this natural disaster has arisen chaotically and regardless of the season.
Scientists recall that the typhoon season, which occurred in 1991, was particularly destructive. Then off the coast of Japan several cyclones raged at once. This element from time to time directly affects the borders of our country. For example, typhoons are thrown to the coast of the Far East after their main blow was received by Japan, Korea and the Ryukyu Islands. At risk are the Kuril Islands, Kamchatka, Sakhalin and Primorsky Krai.
Grounds for the occurrence of the elements
So, above we learned what a typhoon is (a definition for children is a large swirling wind), now let's see how it is born. The reason for the emergence of this tropical cyclone is quite a strong sea state. The concomitant loss of a large amount of precipitation adds fuel to the fire . It is this time that is characterized by a change of monsoons in the eastern and southern seas of Asia (from Arabia to Japan).
It is worth noting that any winds come to Earth from outer space, in particular, due to the increased activity of the sun. While some of them benefit people (coolness, moisture), others sow catastrophic destruction (storms, tornadoes, tornadoes, hurricanes). According to most meteorologists, favorable conditions for the emergence of typhoons on the tropical front arise during the heating of the surface of sea water to a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius.
How does a tropical cyclone originate?
What is a typhoon in terms of its origin? This, of course, is a gradually developing hurricane. Yes, you heard right, it’s a hurricane! When the water surface is heated, enhanced evaporation of moisture occurs, which, in turn, absorbs thermal energy. At this time, warm air comes into contact with the upper cooled air masses reigning in the atmosphere. All this provokes the appearance of clouds turning into rain. Precipitation, in turn, is forced to give a large amount of thermal energy to the surrounding atmosphere.
All of the above atmospheric phenomena lead to a strong pull upward and the absorption of more new masses of moist air from the water surface. If the above cycle is repeated, then its intensity increases significantly, which leads to a kind of gigantic air pump. This is a powerful hurricane mechanism. Two elements are combined together - wind and water. At this time, they acquire a terrible and destructive power.
Is Typhoon a Fool?
Scientists do not quite understand what a typhoon is. For children, it is characterized as a strong whirlwind / hurricane. But for scientists to determine the line between these two cyclones is currently not possible. Why? The fact is that meteorologists still do not understand the conditions under which hurricanes occur in the Pacific Ocean, and it is a Pacific cyclone that is commonly called a typhoon.
As a rule, this element is carried across land by a narrow strip and has a truly destructive force. Tropical cyclone takes tens and hundreds of human lives, not to mention the huge material losses. Typhoons are jokingly called nerds. Of course, they have something in common: in the first, as in the second, air masses move around the center, which, in turn, also serves as the center with the lowest atmospheric pressure.
Trajectory and speed
What is a typhoon (photos are presented in the article) in terms of the trajectory of its movement? As we noted above, this is a chaotic cyclone. Note that its trajectory has never been and never will be straightforward. His speed is also changeable. Sometimes a typhoon moves swiftly, and sometimes it’s just a few miles per hour. Sometimes this nonsense just stops halfway. Scientists say: this is due to the fact that the cyclone does not reach high altitudes in the atmosphere.
In the sea...
What is a typhoon at sea? Mariners call the center of this powerful tropical cyclone "eye." Why? The closer to its center, the stronger its wind. This provokes a powerful wave of sea water. Waves propagate in all directions, changing them more and more often. Often in the center of the cyclone the wind can suddenly abate, and the clouds can dissipate, but the sea does not abate. Rarely which vessels can cross the typhoon's eye without prejudice. Usually sailors try to avoid its central part.