The Dictionary Of Hurricane Sandy: 'Baroclinic Energy'
Hurricane Sandy: 10:16 a.m. Monday Wunderground.comA lot of meteorological terms will be thrown around for the next few days. We're here to define them so you can understand what's going on. Welcome to the Dictionary of Hurricane Sandy. Baroclinic Energy Noun. Pronunciation: [bar-uh-klin-ik] One of the most striking features of Sandy is its source of energy. Most tropical cyclones get their energy from convection of warm tropical air up through the core of the storm to the upper atmosphere, as the storm moves across the warm waters of the Atlantic or Caribbean. Most storms are at their strongest when they are out to sea over warm water and lose energy once they come ashore. Sandy is a bit different. With a sustained windspeed of 90 miles per hour, Sandy is a Category One [see below] hurricane, but that's deceptive. Sandy is actually getting stronger as she moves inland, thanks to something called baroclinic...