Category: Geography Notes PPT

The tropical scrub forest is a biome that makes up the arid land. This type of biome consists of desert region and areas of low-lying regions, there are dense bushes which are growing over these places. Scrubland is an area with little precipitation and plenty of continuous winds, with a poor drainage system, and with medium to poor soil quality. The plants and animals of the tropical scrub forest have to adapt and flourish in this type of harsh environment.

Scrubland Meaning

Shrubland, scrubland, and scrub or the brush, also known as the bush come under plant community. They are characterized by vegetation that is dominated by shrub plants and often they include grass type, herbs, and geophytes. The shrubland might occur naturally or this could be the result of human activity. Scrubland may like the mature vegetation type that grows in a particular region, which remains stable over some time. They also come under a transitional community which occurs temporarily as the cause of the fire. This stable state is maintained by regular and natural disturbances like fire or by browsing. These shrublands are not suitable for human habitation as they are prone to fire outbreaks.  

The species found in the shrubland generally show a great range of adaptations to fire with such a heavy seed production, and they are fire-induced germination

Scrub Vegetation 

From the name itself ‘scrub vegetation’ we can know the vegetation. This vegetation is dominated by shrubs. Shrubs are the low woody plant they generally form an intermediate community that is between the grass or community or heath and high forest. 

The ecoregion covers the Deccan Plateau which is the Deccan plateau that extends across the Indian states of Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh to Sri Lanka in its northern province. There remain only small patches of natural habitat which is cleared for grazing. 

Scrub Plant 

Dogwood 

Alder

Viburnum

Pincherry

Typical plants included in this scrubland vegetation are dogwood, Viburnum , Pincherry, Alder, and other species. Shrubland habitats are mostly temporary which exists on the land for a very short period.

The Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush. Bush is a variety of plant communities that are characterized by vegetation that is priorly dominated by shrubs, they include grasses, herbs, and other geophytes. The Shrubland may either occur naturally or this will be the result of human activity.

Scrub Forest and Grassland

The vegetation consists of many southern tropical thorn which is the scrub-type forests. These all consist of the open woodland with the thorny trees and with short trunks and low, branching outgrowth. There are xerophytic shrubs featured with spines. They occur in dry grasslands. 

Tropical Scrub Forest

The Tropical scrub forest is the real scrub jungle or the Shrubs and Scrubs forest type vegetation. They are also referred to as the chaparral as referred to in California. This vegetation is found across the southern United States, which is along the Mediterranean coastline, in the northern and central African region. They are also located within the interior of Australia. The average annual rainfall is approximately about 2 to 9 inches, while the temperature fluctuates minorly. All the scrub tropical forest is found in the equatorial region, where the temperature fluctuates little regardless of the season. 

Vegetation

The vegetation cultivated in the tropical scrub biome has adapted to the arid type conditions. The Plants are typically thick, waxy leaves that have developed to store moisture. The trees which grow in this biome include these hardwoods like oaks and varieties of both deciduous and evergreen trees such as olives and cedars. The flowering shrubs like manzanita grow into the dense evergreen thickets. The summers in this vegetation are dry, and most plants are dormant until the winter rain starts.

Animals

Like the vegetation in this region, the local animals also adapt to the harsh, dry conditions of the tropical scrub forest. Small mammals and nocturnal, can change their body temperature quite rapidly and take advantage of the pleasant night temperatures. While, other nocturnal and burrowing animals of this biome include snakes, lizards, and small rodents. These animals have also evolved with longer legs who have high agility to facilitate their movement along and shifting to hot soil.

Did you know?

• There are Mediterranean scrublands that occur naturally in the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biomes. They are located in five Mediterranean climatic regions of the world. The scrublands are the most common near the seacoast which has often adapted to the wind and salt air in the ocean. 

• The scrubland that is low with soft-leaved plants around the Mediterranean Sea is called garrigue in France, in Greece it is called Phrygana, Tomilares in Spain, and Batha in Israel.

• The Interior scrublands occur naturally in the semi-arid areas where the soils are less-nutrient, like in the Matas of Portugal which is underlain by Cambrian.  

• Some of the vegetation types are formed of the dwarf-shrubs which have dwarf shrubs. They are a low-growing or creeper variety of shrubs. They include the maquis and garrigues of the Mediterranean-type climate.  

The removal of the soil surface in thin layers due to rainfall is sheet erosion. It happens when rainwater carries away the soil particles that do not seep into the ground. 

In the notes, has provided you with a detailed explanation about sheet erosion and its different types. Also, geography experts have given more information about the causes of sheet erosion. Students can learn more about the topic from online class for geography, where they learn smartly with 3-D examples of the concepts.

Notes on Sheet Erosion

offers you unique content that helps you strengthen your knowledge and engage with indefinite new examples, also easing the process to retain the lessons for a long duration. Various subject matter experts for geography have made these resources to assist you in your preparation. 

Experts of geography have made sure to provide you with easy notes on Sheet Erosion, with examples and scenarios that carry the process of sheet erosion in our surroundings, for instance, rainwater. From the notes, students will learn clear definitions of the different types of sheet erosion and various causes of sheet erosion.

Different Types of Sheet Erosion

Students often find it hard to remember the different types of topics, and to bring you out of this mud, experts have crafted easy notes on sheet erosion and its types. Types of sheet erosion are:

Learn Causes of Sheet Erosion with

not only provides definitions of various terms and types of the particular topic to the students. It also provides a complete explanation of the causes of a process. It helps students understand a concept clearly and its role.

In the notes, experts have explained the causes of sheet erosion in a detailed manner. Also, Students will know about the effect of sheet erosion in different parts of India and how it is a concerning problem for the people who live in hilly terrain.

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More on Sheet Erosion

Sheet erosion or also commonly known as sheet wash can be defined as the washing off the soil surface in thin layers as a result of rainfall. Soil erosion occurs in a wide area mostly in the coastal and flood-prone areas. It has also been found in hillslopes and beaches. The amount of damage caused by sheet erosion mainly depends on the amount of rainfall and force of the wind. 

Here, we have provided a piece of detailed information on which explains sheet erosion and the major causes of sheet erosion.

The sheet erosion definition provided by us will thus help the students be familiar with the process of erosion and can also be referred for their exam preparation.|

Types of Sheet Erosion

The occurrence of sheet flow or erosion in flood-prone areas and coastal plains have become common these days. Any form of irregularity and unevenness may be more prone to sheet erosion. Sheet erosion is commonly found in unconsolidated soils such as bare grounds, newly ploughed soils and beaches. 

Some of the major types of sheet erosion that takes place every year are – Rill Erosion, Gully Erosion and Streambank Erosion. Among all the four types of erosion, sheet and rill erosion causes more damage to the soil. 

Rill Erosion and Gully Erosion

Rills can be defined as the drainage lines which are shallow and are not more than 30 cm deep. They are often formed in sunken water lands and depressions and commonly cause erosion in lands with loose soils. For example, agricultural soils, newly cultivated soils and overgrazed soils. Rill erosion is an intermediate stage between sheet and gully erosion and can be reduced by decreasing the water speed and volume with the help of contour drains and grassed waterways. Removal of these Rills can be made easy by the process of farm machinery.

Gully erosion, on the other hand, causes lesser soil erosion but may contribute to a greater loss of soil leading to collapsing of sidewalls if the rill erosion is not controlled properly on time. These gullies can be defined as channels that are deeper than 30cm which are formed as a result of small water flow. 

Streambank erosion can be defined as the type of sheet erosion that leads to the loss of soil from the river banks and causes the degradation of banks along the side of the rivers and streams. This type of erosion occurs when a high speed or current of water washes away the land after heavy rainfall.

Major Causes of Sheet Erosion

A major portion of agricultural land and vegetation gets eroded every year due to this soil erosion process. Sheet flow or sheet erosion has become common now-a-days in most of the coastal and hilly areas. As such it not only causes damage to the land but also hampers the cultivation process. Some of the major causes of erosion are discussed below:

• Annual flood has been on top causes of soil erosion every year. The areas that experience heavy rainfall and fall under flood-prone areas are more susceptible to sheet erosion.

• The thickness of the raindrops and wind force also plays a major role in sheet erosion. The pressure applied on the ground due to the falling raindrops, causes the thin layers of soil to wash away easily with the rain. 

• Uneven or loose soils are more prone to erosion. We must make sure that the cultivated lands are not too loose, as it gives rise to rill erosion and gully erosion. The damages caused by sheet and gully erosion are huge leading to sidewall collapsing and agricultural loss.

• A large amount of deforestation has also resulted in the loss of soil due to sheet erosion. Since, trees hold a high water holding capacity, cutting down of trees results in loosening of the soil and waterlogging. As such, the layers of the soil can be easily washed away by rain.

• Therefore, sheet erosion has been a major problem in India today and has greatly affected the cultivation and agriculture of the country. A huge amount of crop lands are affected every year by the sheet erosion process resulting in loss of vegetation. Hence, this article on sheet erosion has been provided to help them get a clearer concept on sheet erosion meaning and causes.

Sphalerite ore, also known as blackjack, ruby blende, and zinc blende is a mineral and ore of zinc with a chemical composition of ((Zn, Fe)S). It was discovered by Ernst Friedrich Glocker in 1847, who named it based on the Greek word “sphaleros” meaning deceiving or treacherous because its lustrous dark crystals can be misguided for other minerals. Sphalerites are found in different deposit types but are primarily found in sedimentary exhalative, Mississippi-Valley type, and volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits. It is most commonly used for zinc, bronze, gemstones, galvanization, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. 

Sphalerite is found in association with pyrite, galena, calciate, dolomite quartz, fluorite, and rhodochrosite. 

Sphalerite Mineral Properties

Sphalerite is a common mineral and occurs in distinct colors and forms. Iron impurities are often present in the minerals, and for this reason, it is commonly known as transparent. If sphalerite contains large amounts of iron impurities, it will have a metallic dark grey or black material, which is generally of more sulfide materials. Sphalerite is one of the few minerals that ranges from gemmy transparent crystals to dark metallic-black crystals.

The Table Given below Shows the Physical Properties of Sphalerite.

Sphalerite Physical Properties

 

Sphalerite Chemical Properties

Sphalerite Healing Properties

The crystal sphalerite is a good healing stone as it helps to support the immune system and can help to recover rapidly from infections. One of the important sphalerite healing properties is that this crystal helps to heal the issues that affect the eyes and also helps to assist the nervous system. 

Sphalerite is an excellent stone for the athletes to use as it helps them to get back to normal more quickly after every exercise. It also helps to rapidly replenish the oxygen in the blood.

The crystal vibrates with the sacral chakra which is the area of the body that helps to enhance your creativity. Also, it provides relief to the problems affecting the livers and kidneys.

Sphalerite Uses

• Sphalerite is used as a gemstone. Crystals of suitable size and transparency are used to create gemstones, usually featuring the excellent cut to best exhibit the sphalerite high dispersion of 0.356, over three times of diamond. 

• The zinc in sphalerite is used to obtain brass, an alloy of copper with 3-4% zinc.

• Mined zinc from sphalerite can be used to produce zinc supplements for agronomic biofortification, and food fortification.

• Zinc in sphalerite can also be used to produce certain types of bronze.

• Sphalerites industries are used in batteries, brass, and galvanized iron.

Galena and Sphalerite

Galena (Pbs) and sphalerite (Zns) are plentiful on Earth and generally exist together in the same deposit. Most lead-zinc ores are refined by distinct floatation in which galena is recorded first followed by sphalerite. The presence of lead ions (Pb²⁺) in ore pulp can directly encourage sphalerite flotation. Lead ions are considered to be able to replace zinc in the sphalerite lattice to form galena or to be absorbed on the sphalerite surface in the form of Pb -O- Zn. at nearly neutral Ph conditions. 

According to Li Et al and Bai et al, zinc and lead ions can be released from sphalerite and galena during grinding. According to Rao and Natarajan, lead ions can be seen on the surface of sphalerite after it approaches galena in deionized water. It is widely believed that grinding has a considerable impact on the flotation of sulfide minerals. 

Did You Know ?

• Sphalerite is often found with galena, a lead ore. 

• Sphalerite is a mineral, mixed with zinc and iron sulfide.

• The chemical formula of Sphalerite is (Zn, Fe)S.

• The dispersion of sphalerite (0.156) is three times that of diamond, which has a dispersion of 0.44.

• When the content of iron is high, sphalerite is often found in opaque black known as marmatite.

Let’s briefly understand what a subduction zone is. A subduction zone is perhaps the greatest crash scene on Earth. These boundaries mark the strike between two of the planet’s tectonic plates. The plates are pieces of crust which gradually move across the planet’s surface over millions of years. Where two tectonic plates collide at a subduction zone, one bends and slides below the other, curving down into the mantle (the hotter layer beneath the crust). Subduction zones are massive boundaries, thus they produce very large and impactful earthquakes.

Amazing Events in Subduction Zones

The Earth’s couple of tectonic plates can be millions of miles across and underlie both oceans and continents. These plates slam into, slide past, and move apart from each other. Where they slam and one plate is thrust underneath another (a subduction zone), the most impactful earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions arise.

Events in Subduction Zones

Following are the Events That Take Place in Subduction Zones –

1. Earthquakes

Cramming two gigantic slices of Earth’s crust together is like stroking two pieces of sandpaper against each other. The gigantic scale of subduction zones implies they can induce cosmic earthquakes. The biggest earthquakes ever documented were on subduction zones, recording a magnitude of 9.5 in Chile (1960) and a magnitude of 9.2 in Alaska (1964).

2. Tsunamis

Subduction zones are generally formed along coastlines, so tsunamis tend to always produce close to where people live. “There’s a silver lining there.”If these earthquakes occur beneath a city, the city would just have no chance. But unfortunately, sometimes a tsunami is produced.”

When a subduction zone earthquake strikes, Earth’s crust bends and breaks like a freed spring. For earthquakes bigger than a magnitude 7.5, this can bring about a tsunami, a colossal sea wave, by abruptly moving the seafloor. However, not all subduction zone earthquakes will give rise to tsunamis. Also, some earthquakes activate tsunamis by sparking underwater landslides.

Whatever their cause, the tsunami from subduction zones may strike in minutes for coastal areas near an earthquake, or hours later, after the waves travel along the sea.

3. Volcanoes

As plate tectonics subduction zones slide into the mantle, the hotter layer underneath Earth’s crust, the heating disperse fluids trapped in the plate. These fluids, such as carbon dioxide and sea water, can partially melt the overlying crust, producing magma. And magma (molten rock) often indicates volcanoes.

The Toba volcanic explosion in Indonesia, the biggest volcanic eruption in the past 25 million years, had been from a subduction zone volcano.

4. Abundant Landslides

Landslides are specifically profuse in subduction zones, where geologic mechanisms form steep rapidly evolv­ing topography. Onshore, high rates of rainfall on the seaward side of the mountain chains formed by the compressing of the plates make landslides more likely. Offshore, thick sediments amass, constructing steep unstable slopes.

5. Land-Level Changes Over Massive Areas

In the hundreds of years between megathrust earthquakes, the compressing motions cause the upper plate to upsurge and uplift just above the locked region, over thousands of square kilometers. Almost spontaneously after a megathrust earthquake, the uplifted area drops by as much as a few meters (1 meter is about 3 feet), inducing sea level to rise by amounts that would take hundreds of years if because of climatic change.

6. Magma Generation in Subduction Zones

When the (literally very old) oceanic crust sinks back into the mantle in a subduction zone, it comes continuously under huge pressure and temperature. The rocks contain considerable amounts of carbon dioxide, water and other fluids which are released into the blanketed mantle wedge.

7. Magmas Change Composition

The magmas in subduction zone volcanoes are commonly explosive since they appear at the surface as very viscous (sticky) and gas-rich. Why?

On their way up to the surface, these magmas can (and essentially do) experience a variety of processes, such as cooling and crystallizing when they pool and cool in magma chambers at varying depths.

Fun Facts

• Plate tectonics subduction zones can carry along both oceanic crust and continental crust, or they may be made of only either kind of crust.

• Continental crust is less dense and condensed than the Oceanic crust.

• At a subduction zone, the oceanic crust generally descends into the mantle underneath a lighter continental crust.

• Scientists believe sometimes, the oceanic crust may grow so old and dense that it collapses and in a spur of a moment develops a subduction zone

• With a similar type of crust collision, such as continent-continent, the plates may crash together without subducting and scrumple together like crashing cars.

• The gigantic Himalaya mountain chain was created this way when India rammed into Asia.

Prairies are habitats that ecologists classify as components of the temperate savannas, grasslands, and shrublands biome because they have common temperate environments, moderate rainfall, and a prevalent vegetation type of grasses, shrubs rather than trees. The Pampas of Argentina, as well as the steppes of Ukraine, Russia, and Kazakhstan, are examples of temperate grassland regions.

The majority of “prairie” lands are found in North America. Life in the temperate grasslands refers to the region of Canada, the United States, and Mexico is known as the Interior Lowlands, which covers much of the Great Plains and also the wetter, hillier area to the east.

Where are Prairies Located or Where Prairies are Found in? 

Much or most of the states of North Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Oklahoma, as well as large portions of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Texas, Wisconsin, Indiana, and southern and western Minnesota, make up the territory in the United States and are the major places where prairies are found in. According to the prairies summary, it is known that Prairies are found in Washington’s Palouse and California’s Central Valley. So this paragraph gives us the explanation to the question ‘where are prairies located’.

In order to describe the climate of prairies, the Prairies are in the middle of the continent. As a result, the climate is continental, with hot and cold extremes. Summers are humid, with temperatures around 20 degrees Celsius, and winters are bitterly cold, with temperatures around -20 degrees Celsius. This area is blanketed in snow throughout the winter.

Formation

The elevation of the Rocky Mountains around Alberta began the creation of the North American, the prairies temperate region. Downwind, the mountains formed a rain shadow, leading to reduced precipitation rates.

Most prairie soil’s parental content was dispersed throughout the last glacial advance, which started around 110,000 years ago.

The glaciers’ southward expansion scraped the earth, accumulating geologic material and levelling the ground. The material was accumulated in the manner of till as the glaciers melted around 10,000 years ago. Prairie soils rely heavily on wind-borne loess deposits mostly as the parent material.

With the disruptions of grazing and burning, tallgrass prairie developed over millions of years. Until the European invasion of the Americas, local ungulates including elk, bison, and white-tailed deer wandered the vast, varied grasslands. Native people have been using fire mostly as a tool for transportation, hunting, and defense for 10,000 to 20,000 years.

Humans, rather than lightning, are the most common causes of fire lighting in the tallgrass prairie. The prairie grassland creation as well as the development of the forbs species and diversity of graminoid were both aided by humans and grazing species.

The ash created by fire seems to have the ability to lessen trees, removing dying plant material, and modifying the supply of some soil nutrients. Since up to 75 percent (based on the variety) of the overall plant biomass is under the surface of the ground and can re-grow from its deep (over than 20 feet) roots, fire destroys the vascular tissue among trees and not prairie species.

Trees might expand on a cast shade and grassland, suppressing the understory if there is no disturbance. In the oak savanna biome, prairie and evenly dispersed oak trees have developed to cooperate.

Fertility

Despite long periods of drought and intermittent torrential rains, the Great Plains grasslands did not experience significant soil erosion. Native prairie grasses’ root systems closely bound the soil structure, avoiding soil run-off. The fungus and bacteria restored the nutrients from the soil when another plant expired.

Native prairie plants were capable of reaching water even in the driest of conditions due to their deep roots. The prairies summary tells us that Most farm crops are grown extensively and experience far less harm from drought than native grasses.

Climate of Prairies

To describe the climate of Prairies, let us take a look at the classification of these grasslands. In North America, the prairies temperate region are typically divided into three categories: rainy, mesic, and dry.  Based on the soil condition and rainfall, these are classified as mixed prairie, tallgrass prairie, or shortgrass prairie. Describe the climate of prairies is given below:

Wet: 

Due to low water drainage, the soil in wet prairies is normally very damp, even in the majority of the growing season. The stagnant water that results in encourages the growth of bogs and fens. The soil is wet and prairies are ideal for farming. The annual precipitation averages 10–30 inches (250–760 mm).

Mesic: 

Mesic prairie has decent drainage throughout the planting season, but poor soil. This form of the prairie is among the most commonly transformed for agricultural purposes, making it one of the most endangered prairie varieties.

Dry: 

Due to the proper drainage in the soil, the soil in the dry prairie is slightly wet and drier mostly during the growing season. This prairie is frequently located on uplands or slopes. Owing to a lack of moisture, dry soil seldom receives any vegetation. That’s the dominant biome termed Palliser’s Triangle, a southern Canadian agricultural and climatic area.

The Triangle, previously considered to be entirely uninhabitable, has become one of Canada’s most significant agricultural areas, due to advancements in irrigation technology. Palliser’s Triangle is becoming one of the world’s most valuable suppliers of wheat as a product of such advanced techniques of watering wheat fields, in response to increased local significance to Canada.

Environmental History

Bison Hunting: 

For most of the fossil record, nomadic hunting seems to be the primary human occupation on the prairies. Indeed many now-extinct megafauna animals were once part of this. The plains bison were the most killed species on the prairies since the other extinctions. Native peoples would force bison towards fenced pens named buffalo pounds to ever be attacked using crossbows or spears, or push them off a cliff (named as buffalo jump) to kill or harm the bison en masse, utilizing loud sounds and big signals.

Farming and Ranching: 

The dense soil caused problems for the early European settlers, who have been using wooden ploughs that were better suited to lose forest soil. The ploughs rolled about on the prairie, as well as the dirt stuck to them. This issue was fixed in 1837 by John Deere, an Illinois blacksmith who invented a steel moldboard plough which was better and removed the roots, allowing the rich soils to be harvested.

Biofuels: 

“Biofuels designed for high mixtures from the prairies plants will mitigate climate change by eliminating atmospheric carbon,” according to David Tilman, an ecologist at the University of Minnesota. These could provide a significant share of the global energy requirements while leaving fertile land for agricultural production, even when produced on poor soil.

A circulation system of a cyclone undergoes a series of stages as it escalates into a mature tropical cyclone. The storm initiates as a tropical disturbance, which generally takes place when loosely organized cumulonimbus clouds in an easterly wave begin to show signs of weak circulation. The storm is classified as a tropical depression once the speed of the wind increases to 36 km (23 miles per hour). If the circulation continues to intensify and wind exceeds 63 km (39 miles) per hour, the system is considered a tropical storm. The storm is classified as a tropical cyclone as the maximum speed of wind exceeds 119 km ( 74 miles) per hour.

Cyclone Stages

The development cycle of tropical cyclones is divided into three different stages. Let us look at the cyclone stages in detail:

Formation and Initial Development Stage

Maturity Stage

In the cyclone maturity stage, the waves that form during the formation stage grow as the warm air replaces the spaces behind the moving cold front, and the organization of both cold and warm fronts increases. The cold front in the maturity stage moves much speedily than the warm front, intensifying the circulation of cyclones. The system’s lowest pressure is placed at the centre of the wave, and the cyclone’s winds are the strongest about 8 miles above the ground.

Modification and Decay

• A tropical cyclone begins to weaken concerning its central pressure, internal warmth, and extremely high speed as soon as its source of warm moist air initiates to ebb or abruptly cut off.

• This occurs after its landfall or when it passes over cold water.

What is a Hurricane?

A hurricane is an enormous storm. A massive hurricane storm can be up to 600 miles across and have strong winds both inside and outside at speeds of 75 to 200 mph.  Each hurricane lasts for a week, moving 10 -12 miles per hour over the oceans.  Hurricanes collect heat and energy when in contact with ocean warm waters.  Evaporation from seawater increases their power. Hurricanes rotate in a clockwise direction in the southern hemisphere and a counterclockwise direction around an “eye” in the Northern hemisphere. The calmest part is the centre of the ‘eye’ or storm. It has only light winds and sterling weather. When the hurricane comes into the land. The massive rain, the strong winds, and large waves can cause great damage to buildings, trees, and cars.

The hurricane’s scientific name is Tropical Cyclone. Tropical cyclones go by different names. In North America, and the Caribbean, they are known as “Hurricanes” whereas in Indian oceans, they are known as “Cyclones” and in Southeast Asia, they are known as “Typhoons”. 

Where Do Hurricanes Come From?

Hurricane cyclones, also known as tropical cyclones, come from warm ocean water of 80º F or warmer. The air must cool off very quickly as it goes higher. Also, the wind must move in a similar direction and at a similar speed to force air upward from an ocean surface. The wind blows outwards above the storm allowing the air below to rise. Hurricanes generally form between 5 to 15-degree latitude north to south of the equator. The Coriolis force is required to create the spin in the hurricane and it becomes too weak near the equator, and so the hurricane cyclone never came here.

The hurricane or tropical cyclone is divide into the following stages:

Hurricane Stages

What is Landfall?

A landfall of cyclones is accompanied by strong winds, lashing rains, and rising sea waves that could threaten people and cause damage to property and land.

Hurricanes or cyclones can start losing their energy and speed after hitting the land as they get energy from the warm ocean water. However, this does not take place quickly.

As the cyclone moves over to the land, its wind fields tend to accelerate. Hence, it can affect larger areas than scientists may have estimated. A larger wind field coupled with the coast results in storms and rising ocean waves. 

Did You Know?

• Hurricanes are also known as cyclones and typhoons, depending on the region in which they occur.

• Hurricanes north of the equator spin clockwise whereas south of the equator spins anticlockwise.

• The three main parts of hurricanes are the eyes, the eyewalls, and rain bands.

• The Bhola cyclone in 1970 was the world’s deadliest hurricane. It is estimated that more than 50000 people were killed in that cyclone.

• The Galveston Hurricane in 1970 was the deadliest United States Hurricane. It is estimated that up to 8,000 US citizens were killed in that cyclone.