31.07.2013 Views

Hurricanes: Their Nature and Impacts on Society - Climate Science ...

Hurricanes: Their Nature and Impacts on Society - Climate Science ...

Hurricanes: Their Nature and Impacts on Society - Climate Science ...

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

TROPICAL CYCLONES ON PLANET EARTH 91<br />

FigUre 3.18 Nati<strong>on</strong>al Hurricane Center map for Hurricane Fran in 1996 demarking<br />

trowcal storm, hurricane, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> intense hurricane strength over time. Such maps can<br />

be Ibcated for all hurricanes at the NHC WWW site at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov<br />

The impacts of tropical cycl<strong>on</strong>es are felt to some extent <strong>on</strong> every c<strong>on</strong>tinent<br />

<strong>on</strong> the planet. <strong>Society</strong> is particularly c<strong>on</strong>cerned regarding the impacts of<br />

intense hurricanes in regi<strong>on</strong>s of heavy populati<strong>on</strong> density. However, weak<br />

hurricanes, tropical storms, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> tropical depressi<strong>on</strong>s also pose si~cant<br />

threats to society through heavy rain <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> winds. To resp<strong>on</strong>d to these threats,<br />

scientists have devoted c<strong>on</strong>siderable attenti<strong>on</strong>, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> policy-makers c<strong>on</strong>siderable<br />

resources, to underst<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>ing <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> predicting the movement <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> intensity of<br />

tropical cycl<strong>on</strong>es. It is to that subject that we now turn.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!