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SEA STORMS
When tornados develop at sea, they take the form of water spouts. They are like tornados except, they occur over the water instead of over the land. Compared to hurricanes, tornados are isolated small storms. They usually last a few minutes and do not create huge waves. Hurricanes are by far the most serious storms at sea. They usually carry winds up to 250 mph, and torrential rains capable of drowning a bird in mid flight. A sea storm is something none on a boat wants to experience. Hurricanes are measured from 1 to 5 according to The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. A 5 being the st Hurricanes usually begin to form near the Equator where the water is the warmest. The hurricane season last from August thru November, and can produce as many as 20 named storms every year. Most of these will not reach land and are usually pushed away to the open sea by a high pressure system. However, even though hurricanes may occur hundreds of miles away, they can have an effect on the water around you. Swells are capable of traveling long distances before becoming a wave that brakes over itself. Sometimes, these wells become rogue waves or white squalls, which are huge waves usually over 40 ft. These can occur in a perfectly clear day, or during a middle of an unrelated storm. The other storms mentioned are weaker versions of a hurricane. However, a typhoon is a hurricane that occurs in the Pacific ocean and spins opposite of a hurricane. Although typhoons are equally violent as hurricanes, they are less notorious than the Atlantic's hurricanes. Activities: Answer the following questions. (you may need to visit the suggested links to answer some of them)
Links on the weather: http://www.earthsky.com/iwonder/weather.html Links on the ocean: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/ocean/Waves.shtml
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