태풍의 구조 (Anatomy of a hurricane)

출처 : The Wall Street Journal - 2018.09.13

A View Inside Hurricane Florence

출처 : NASA - 2018.09.11 촬영

Popular Science - 2018.07-08월호

Anatomy of a hurricane

1. Pressure Cooker

A hurricane starts as a low-pressure area. It sucks in the adjacent air and gathers moisture from the balmy seawater below. 

In 100 years, warmer ocean surfaces will evaporate more easily, adding more hurricane fuel to the system.

2. Making It Rain

Water vapor in the low-pressure area condenses into clouds and rain. 

Some climate scientists predict a 20 percent increase in hurricane-related precipitation this century, which could make hurricanes even more destructive.

3. Wind Tunnel

Condensation heats the air and lowers the pressure even further.

The area sucks in air harder and faster, until winds reach hurricane status at 74 mph or more. 

By 2100, hurricane wind speeds might increase by 2 to 11 percent.

4. Surging Forward

Strong winds sweep up a swell of water in front of a hurricane. 

When it hits land, this storm surge—combined with climate change-boosted sea levels—

could shove floodwaters farther inland in the future, especially at high tide.

5. Coastal Creep

Large landmasses and cooler waters currently help buffer North Atlantic coasts from most intense hurricanes. 

But as sea and air temperatures rise, hurricane paths might become even less predictable and could shift northward.