Science 4 Mr. Fraser By: Enrique Mayan and Erik Arias

A typhoon is a type of large storm with violent winds that travels hundreds of miles across. It also spins hundreds of miles per hour. In addition a typhoon is a tropical storm that occurs in the western part of the pacific ocean.

A typhoon starts off as a tropical thunderstorm. The storm winds pull in moisture from the ocean. The thunderstorms convert into heat. The heat causes more air to flow to the center of the storm which causes evaporation. Then it creates a typhoon.

They are all the same, the only difference is that they are named differently in different parts of the world. For example, hurricane is used in the Atlantic Central, Northeast Pacific, and the Caribbean Sea. Where as typhoons are found in the Pacific Ocean.

The typhoon Haiyan was so destructive because it killed over a thousand people. Once this typhoon reaches 74 miles per hour it can be classified as a hurricane or a cyclone as well.

The most important factors of a typhoon are warm ocean water, low atmosphere stability sufficient coriolis force, moist mid atmosphere, and upper atmosphere divergence.

One feature, is that typhoons are mostly during late summer. Another feature is if a typhoon hits 32 knots, it becomes a super typhoon. Also the center of a typhoon is called an eye. The eye is 10 to 40 miles wide. Another feature is winds in a typhoon have speed of at least 74 mph and outside the eye of the storm the speed is about 110 mph.

Well it depends where the typhoon is located. If it is in the North equator it spins counterclockwise. If it is in the south equator it spins clockwise. The reason for this difference is the earth's rotation