Question

As the cyclone progresses across Earth's surface, the cold and warm fronts rotate about the center of low pressure. The motion of the storm system has similarities to that of a flying Frisbee®, that is, a Frisbee spins as it sails through the air (simultaneously exhibiting rotational and translational motions). Typically, the cold front rotates about the center of the low faster than the warm front. Consequently, the extent of the warm sector occupied by relatively warm and humid air at the surface ________.

(a) Increases
(b) Decreases
(c) Remains constant
(d) Varies unpredictably

Answer 1

The extent of the warm sector in a cyclone decreases due to the faster rotation of the cold front around the center of low pressure. The rotational motion of cyclones is influenced by the Coriolis force, differentiating between counter clockwise rotation in the northern hemisphere and clockwise rotation in the southern hemisphere.

Step-by-step explanation:

The extent of the warm sector occupied by relatively warm and humid air at the surface decreases as the cyclone progresses across Earth's surface. Because the cold front rotates about the center of the low faster than the warm front, the warm sector is overtaken by the cold front, leading to a smaller area of warm air at the surface.

The Coriolis force greatly influences the rotational direction of cyclones, causing hurricanes in the northern hemisphere to rotate in a counterclockwise direction while in the southern hemisphere, the rotation is clockwise. This effect is also responsible for the deflection of winds towards the center of the cyclone, contributing to the distinct rotation patterns seen in tropical cyclones, which are known regionally as hurricanes, typhoons, or tropical storms.