Download Hydrosphere Atmosphere

Team 12 – Cycle B
Galveston Hurricane of 1900
EDTC 6341.63
November 13, 2011
Problem Statement
 Team Nekton will
investigate the causes of
Hurricanes, by looking at
winds, storm surge,
vulnerability.
 We will review past
Hurricanes and provide
recommendations to
improve Hurricane
preparedness and
readiness.
Hurricane Galveston 1900 > Spheres
Lithosphere
Atmosphere
Galveston
Hurricane
Of 1900
Hydrosphere
Biosphere
E > Atmosphere
The growth of the hurricanes is
dependant of the ocean and the
atmosphere.
The ocean’s water temperature must
be warmer than 26.5 oC or 81oF.
The wind’s speed and altitude
direction known as wind shear is also a
contributing factor in the formation of
hurricanes.
Yellow, orange and
red represent waters
warm enough for
hurricane formation.
E > Atmosphere
High wind shear develops when wind
speed is increasing with height.
 Thus, the storm grows the storm is
slanted downwind reducing the
chances of a hurricane formation.
When little or no wind shear is
present, storms are able to grow
vertically increasing the chances of
hurricane formation.
E > Hydrosphere
 The effects of a hurricane on
the Hydrosphere is that it
causes the overflow of rivers,
lakes, and the creation of
storm surge on the coast.
 In some cases rivers can
create new paths to flow in
because of the amount of
water that flows through
them during a hurricane
during the massive amounts
of rain that a hurricane can
produce.
E > Lithosphere
 “Hurricane force winds can
also affect the lithosphere.
 The high winds associated
with the hurricane can result
in erosion the beaches and
the surrounding area.
 Debris such as roofing
material, siding and small
items left outside become
projectiles during the storm.
E > Lithosphere cont.
 The blowing debris will also
damage the top layer of the
lithosphere.
 The multiple layers of the
earth's lithosphere will
continue to be worn down by
the trees and other plant life
will be uprooted, damaging
the lithosphere.”
E > Biosphere
 Negative effects:
 Floods: floods brought on
by a hurricane destroy
earth’s vegetation, effect
soil, and can cause the
death of many animals and
humans.
 If death is not brought on
by starvation do to the loss
of the vegetation, it can be
brought on by the flood
itself by drowning.
E > Biosphere Cont.
 Floods can also pollute
drinking water and cause the
spread of disease throughout
the lands when foreign items
fall into the drinking water
supply.
 Strong winds bring down
many trees which are home
to many living creatures.
cont. E > Biosphere
 Positive effects:
 “A hurricane's high winds stir up
the ocean waters and help bring
nutrients and phytoplankton to
the surface, where they get more
sunlight, allowing the plants to
bloom” (NASA).
 “phytoplankton blooms may also
affect the Earth's climate and
carbon cycle”(NASA).
 Vegetation and soil can be brought
to other areas when blown up and
away by a hurricane.
Spheres > Spheres Interactions
Lithosphere <>Hydrosphere
 Hurricanes produce massive flooding, high winds and
windborne debris which threaten human safety.
 Floodwater moves rock sediments and can uproot trees
and can cause harm to humans and animals.
 The mixture of debris can produce massive landslide
damage to regions with lack of root structures and may
experience more erosion.
 Standing waters and flooding cause respiratory diseases.
Lithosphere <> Biosphere
 Increase rainfall, powerful winds and erosion may cause
landslides to occur destroying homes, lives, crops, roads,
bridges, livestock and vegetation.
Cont. Sphere <> Interactions
 Lithosphere <> Atmosphere
Lithosphere: Hurricanes
can cause erosion in
beaches and areas
around the coast line
from where the
hurricane came from.
Hurricanes rip plant life
such as trees out of the
ground, causing damage
to the top layer of the
lithosphere as well as
other layers the roots of
the tree grew to.
Atmosphere: The uplifted
plants can cause much dirt
and debris into the air that
we breathe. Less trees can
also mean a change in
climate do to
evapotranspiration, carbon
sequestration, and
photosynthesis process of
removing carbon dioxide
and releasing oxygen.
Hydrosphere > Biosphere
Hydrosphere:
Hurricanes can
bring floods,
which can in
return pull
land debris
into the ocean
or drinking
water.
Biosphere:
Floods can ruin
vegetation,
which in return
ruin food for
animals and
humans.
Biosphere <> Atmosphere
 First of all the biosphere is the part of the earth
and its atmosphere in which living organisms
exist or that is capable of supporting life.
 The atmosphere is the part of the earth or any
celestial body that surrounds or envelopes it.
 The interaction between the two is that they
are interacting with each other constantly and
deal with the transportation of materials from
one to the other through atmospheric events
such as rain and wind.
 Catastrophic events such as tornadoes and
hurricanes amplify the interaction and cause an
increase in the exchange between the two.
Cont. Spheres <> Interactions
 Hydrosphere <> Atmosphere
 Hurricanes only form from warm ocean
water.
 The water’s temperature must be at least 26
degrees Celsius.
 Warm air rises from the warming ocean.
 The air carries water vapor , the gas form of
water.
 The water vapor cools as it rises.
 It turns back into a liquid.
 This condensation forms clouds, releasing
heat energy into the air at the same time.
 The large, dark clouds high above ground are
photographed by a passenger on an airplane
entering the center of Hurricane Eloise.
The large, dark clouds high above ground are
photographed by a passenger on an airplane
entering the center of Hurricane Eloise.
©NOAA
Cont. Spheres <> Interactions
Hydrosphere <> Atmosphere
 As evaporation and condensation continue, the air
pressure at the surface of the ocean goes down.
 That lets more water vapor into the air.
 That vapor rises higher, where it condenses and
releases still more energy.
 The cloud columns grow higher and larger.
 In this way, a hurricane is a storm that feeds itself.
 The more it grows, the more energy it releases. The
more energy it releases, the more it grows.
Team Recommendations
During a hurricane, water and air are critical
elements that can cause serious damage to
buildings, lives and the ecosystem.
 According to Hurricane Science Organization,
residents must determine if their residence is at
risk due to flooding, become knowledgeable
where to evacuate incase of severe wind and
flooding threats and purchase flood insurance and
understand the insurance coverage.
 Families should develop a family disaster plan to
ensure everyone knows step-by-step what to do
should a catastrophic event may occur. Families
can consult the State Emergency Management
Agency websites.
Team Recommendations cont.
 Maintain home inventory to ensure all personal possessions are
accounted for and insured.
 Prepare a disaster preparation kit that includes but not limited
to: cash; important documents, water, non-perishable food,
medication/ first aid kit, flashlights, batteries, battery operated
radio, full gas tank in vehicle and backpack with cloths.
 In an approaching storm, keep in form by watching, listening to
news weather.
 Government codes require builders to make hurricane prone
areas to use impact protection on windows, roofs and doors.
Team Recommendations
*The following websites offers useful and great
information.
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/disaster_preve
ntion.shtml
http://miami.about.com/od/natureenvironment/ht/hurri
caneprep.htm
http://www.epa.gov/hurricanes/
Reference Page
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www.accuweather.com
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http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ct.gov/dph/lib/dph/communications/images/hurricane.jpg&i
mgrefurl=http://www.ct.gov/hurricane&h=960&w=1280&sz=427&tbnid=ft1k3YOG3mZG4M:&tbnh=101&tbnw=13
4&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhurricane%2Bimages%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=hurricane+images&docid=
Qt8zfXxF8pH-dM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=jvi9TraSA4LAtgeD_OTUBg&sqi=2&ved=0CF0Q9QEwDg&dur=6949
http://www.zulkowski.com/weather/Lithosphere%20and%20Hurricanes.htm
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Hurricane+and+Lithosphere+Image&um=1&hl=en&biw=1227&bih=612&tbm=i
sch&tbnid=OX2ZRPndnF_EuM:&imgrefurl=http://geodonn.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.html&docid=fimp
4GSZVQ7nXM&imgurl=http://farm1.static.flickr.com/230/506498591_4cf81fd2e4.jpg&w=500&h=346&ei=mASTpzeFOrosQKy3cnGBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=687&vpy=240&dur=8153&hovh=187&hovw=270&tx=158&ty=109
&sig=117902345911230254627&page=10&tbnh=129&tbnw=166&start=192&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:19,s:192
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Hurricanes: Science and society http://www.hurricanescience.org/
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2004/0602hurricanebloom.html
www.googleimages.com
http://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/climate-weather/storms/trees-affect-weather1.htm
http://www.lar.wsu.edu/res_bio-atmos.html
http://dictionary.reference.com/
 http://www.globio.org/glossopedia/article.aspx?art_id=40
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/disaster_prevention.shtml
http://miami.about.com/od/natureenvironment/ht/hurricaneprep.htm
http://www.epa.gov/hurricanes/