HURRICANES
LESSON 4
TRACKING AND COMPARING HURRICANES
Read the definitions below then complete the following tasks:
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Task 1: Track & Compare Hurricanes
The University of Wisconsin compiles satellite montages of the tracks of hurricanes such as the one you see at above. The montages show the path of the hurricane, with different colored lines on top of the image indicating the storm’s intensity. (Image courtesy of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Space Science and Engineering Center)
Task 1: Track & Compare Hurricanes
Click on the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies website above and complete the following questions in your packet on page 8.
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Using the montages on the site above, plot the tracks of Hurricanes Ike and Katrina on separate copies of the tracking map you printed.
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Hold both papers up to light (put them on a window, one on top of the other) and trace the track of Katrina on the map you just did of Ike using a different color marker or colored pencil.
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How were the paths different?
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What clues does the satellite montage give you to the destruction the storms caused?
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Can you tell from the satellite images which storm was worse? How?
Look at this image that shows hurricane strikes in the United States from 1950 to 2009. Use the image to answer the questions on page 9.
6. How many Category 5 storms do you see?
7. Which level of hurricane seems to be the most common?
8. Some areas of coastline have no hurricane strikes for a great distance. What do you think could account for that?
9. Would you rather live in an area that received fewer, very strong hurricanes or frequent, weaker storms and why?