tropical, definition of

The tropicalzone lies between 23.5 degrees north and south of the equator, has small seasonal changes in temperature and large seasonal changes in precipitation.

• A tropical forest will soon grow in Helsinki and provide all the citys heat
  A design proposal for a series of tropical islands has just won the Helsinki Energy Challenge. The goal of this contest is to decarbonize heating systems in the capital city by 2030. Projects like Hot Heart by Carlo Ratti Associati are going to make that...
• Hothouse installation grows tropical plants in the middle of London
  London-based architecture practice Studio Weave has filled a greenhouse with tropical plants in London to highlight the reality of climate change. Known as Hothouse, the large-scale installation project is located at International Quarter London, a business...
• Humans can't count on rainforests to offset their carbon
  Instead of absorbing carbon dioxide from the air, tropical rainforests could become a source of carbon in the atmosphere as soon as the next decade. Long appreciated as “carbon sinks,” those days will soon be over, according to a new study published...
• These charming timber cabins in South India are a retreat for nature lovers
  If your dream getaway involves nature excursions in a tropical environment, prepare to fall in love with the Cardamom Club resort in Thekkady, India. Recently renovated by Bangalore-based Kumar La Noce, this boutique resort features a series of elevated...
• Scandinavian-inspired hotel emerges from the lush Costa Rican landscape
  European design elements meet Costa Rican craftsmanship in the newly completed Mint Santa Teresa, a modern hotel set into a steep hillside in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica...
• BIG and CRA break ground on greenery-infused Singapore skyscraper
  Bjarke Ingels Group and Carlo Ratti Associati have broken ground on a new nature-infused skyscraper that’s bringing Singapore a step closer to its ‘City in a Garden’ vision...
• Ole Scheeren unveils designs for a stunning sky forest in Vietnam
  International architecture firm Buro Ole Scheeren just unveiled designs for Empire City, a greenery-infused skyscraper set to rise in Ho Chi Minh City. Expected to become Vietnam’s tallest building at 1,093 feet, the development softens its monolithic...
• Harvey forces National Weather Service to add new color to its rainfall map
  By now everyone knows that Texas is still suffering from the aftermath of the potent Category 4 Hurricane Harvey that swept into the region over the weekend...
• President Obama Just Created the Wold’s Largest Marine Reserve
  Last week President Obama signed a proclamation to expand the existing Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument by six times its previous size. The Monument Expansion designates the largest marine reserve in the world, making vast areas of the...
• “Extremely Rare and Unprecedented” Double Whammy Storms to Slam Hawaii
  In what’s being called an extremely rare and unprecedented event, two tropical storms are set to batter Hawaii back to back. The Huffington Post reports that the National Weather Service Pacific Hurricane Center (NWSCPH) is currently keeping an eye...

Tropical storms generally form in the eastern portion of tropical oceans and track westward. Hurricanes and typhoons all start out as weak low pressure areas that form over warm tropical waters (e.g., surface water temperature of at least 80 ^oF). Initially winds and cloud formations over the warm tropical waters are minimal. Both intensify with time. Formation of tropical storms also requires a significant Coriolis effect to induce proper spin in the wind formation. As the storm begins to organize itself into a coherent pattern, it will experience increased activity and intensity.

When a storm develops a clearly recognizable pattern, it is referred to as a tropical depression. When wind speeds reach 35 knots (40.3 mph), it is called a tropical storm and is given a name. When wind speed equals or exceeds 74 mph, the storm is called a hurricane. In the western Pacific, a hurricane is referred to as a typhoon. In waters around Australia it is called a cyclone or willy-willy.

Hurricanes intensify when moving over areas of increased water temperatures, and weaken over colder water surfaces. Upper atmosphere wind shear (different wind direction and speeds at different elevations) will frequently prevent or slow intensification of tropical storms by "spreading out" the storm horizontally and preventing the formation of strong updrafts of warm, humid air. Movement over a land-mass will weaken hurricane winds but will result in large-scale rain that can result in serious flooding. When encountering a strong frontal system (such as a polar front) the hurricane will curve and track along the leading edge of the front or become implanted in it.

Satellite infrared imagery can identify surface water temperatures that will cause tropical storm development.

Related Tags: weather, climate change