More than half of the Earth's surface is covered with water. Without it, all living things cannot exist. And yet this environment can also be deadly. Scientists believe that the ocean is not well explored.
Storm in the ocean and the sea is quite a beautiful, even bewitching sight. And at the same time, it is a dangerous weather phenomenon.
Storm in the ocean. What is this phenomenon?
For the crews of ships, trawlers and other vessels, a storm is always a great danger and stress. And for passengers, it is doubly terrible, since most of them first fall into the endless expanses of the raging ocean.
All natural disasters of this kind (cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes) appear, as a rule, when the warm waters of the tropics increase the intensity of wet storms in the ocean. In the process of strengthening the storm front, the rotation of its huge masses begins. A spiral is formed, twisting clockwise. This process causes, in turn, winds. Their speed reaches 322 km / h. They contribute to the whirl of giant waves on the surface of the sea or ocean. And they are already falling with great force on the coast.
Be caught in a storm in the ocean or at sea -horrifying phenomenon. The height of the waves is from 5 to 17 meters. Visibility at that point is almost nil, as the air is filled with lots of small water droplets and foam.
With a deafening roar, high waves crash on the surface of the ocean. As a result, people at the site of the storm can hardly hear anything.
Storm classification
Classify the strength of the storm according to the well-known Beaufort Scale.
Sir Francis Beaufort (1774-1857) - English hydrographer and cartographer, military admiral. He is the author of a 12-point scale for assessing wind speed (by the effect of wind on objects on the surface of the earth and by the waves of water in the sea or ocean). In the British Navy, this scale was adopted in 1838, and then recognized by sailors around the world.
When the wind speed is within 20.8-24.4 m/s, the storm is assigned a 9-point value. Such a storm is considered weak.
At a stronger wind with a speed of up to 28.4 m/s, it is called strong, and it is assigned a 10-point value.
You can see a photo of the storm in the ocean below.
There is still a fierce storm (11 points), when air currents move at an even higher speed (up to 32.6 m/s). Storm in the ocean (12 points) with a wind speed of more than 32.6 m/s - the most dangerous natural phenomenon - a hurricane.
Pacific Ocean. Is he really quiet?
The most majestic and largest ocean on the planet does not match its name with its character. The name "Quiet" he received from Ferdinand Magellan, who was very mistaken forabout peace in the ocean. He just got lucky. There was no storm in the Pacific at the time he traveled through it.
The Pacific Ocean occupies about half of the planet's water surface (46%). If we conditionally combine the entire land surface, its area will also be less than the water surface of the great Pacific Ocean.
The ocean is restless due to the fact that it is here that strong volcanic eruptions and earthquakes often occur. Because of this, huge tsunamis form in the ocean. At the same time, the average speed of giant waves can reach 750 km/h.
The consequences of a storm in the ocean
Storm in the ocean is one of the most severe threats to the lives of people living on the coast. And communities living in the tropics are facing even more severe natural disasters.
The consequences of almost all ocean storms and the accompanying heavy rains are incredibly dire. Due to global warming on Earth, storms will occur more frequently and will be more catastrophic.
In the Caribbean, every year a cyclonic storm in the ocean (Hurricane Alley) rages from summer to autumn. It is difficult for the poor people of these islands to withstand such a powerful hurricane.
In 2003, the wind speed during Cyclone Zoe reached 285 km/h. This hurricane destroyed almost everything on Anuta Island.
Signs of an approaching storm
The very first signs appear in the sky. The sky turns bright red at sunrise or sunset. It's moving ahead of the cyclonelight clouds colored by the sun.
Gradually, the sky turns a bright copper red, and a dark streak appears on the horizon in the distance. There is an ominous silence (the wind stops). The air is getting hotter and stuffier. Birds fly in flocks deep into the continent.
Oddly enough, the worst hurricanes have female names. For example, Hurricane Katrina is the most destructive hurricane in the history of US storms. In August 2005, he caused massive damage to New Orleans in Louisiana. After him, almost 80% of the city's territory was under water. This natural disaster claimed 1,836 lives and caused $125 billion in damage to the economy.
