Question.
What are the basic requirements for the formation of a cyclone?
(Chapter 7 Natural Hazards and Disasters, Class 11 NCERT geography "India Physical Environment")
Answer.
A cyclone is a type of atmospheric disaster. There are two types of cyclones – temperate cyclones and tropical cyclones.
Tropical cyclones arise between 5° to 30° north and 5° to 30° south latitudes. Tropical cyclones do not occur in latitudes between 5° North and 5° South because the Coriolis force is negligible in this region.
There is also a difference of opinion about the origin of tropical cyclones. However, the following basic conditions are favorable for the formation of a tropical cyclone;
- warm ocean.
- Strong Coriolis force.
- Absence of strong vertical winds.
- instability in the troposphere.
A tropical cyclone requires a large amount of latent heat. The latent heat is obtained by evaporation. Only warm and moist air can provide large amounts of latent heat. Such conditions are available only in tropical oceans. A tropical cyclone forms only in the tropical ocean and ends when it reaches land because it loses latent heat.
A strong Coriolis force is required for a tropical cyclone. Having a strong Coriolis force does not allow the filling of the low air pressure at the center and at the same time helps the air to make a circular motion. Since the Coriolis force is not strong between 5° N and 5° South latitudes, the chances of a tropical cyclone forming in this region are low.
Requires the absence of strong vertical winds that prevent vertical transport of latent heat.
There should be instability in the troposphere leading to the formation of a low-pressure area at the local level and around which a tropical cyclone develops.
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