PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE: PASSPORT TO WEATHER AND CLIMATE

Video 2: In and Out of a Hurricane!

Fly amid a whirling hurricane with NOAA researchers, and track storms the size of Texas with NASA's satellite technology. See how hurricanes are literally "heat engines," transforming latent energy into ferocious and destructive winds. This video sheds light on the effects of latent heat and the water cycle on Earth's weather.

"What's the Water Cycle?" Footage from NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite shows how scientists like NASA's Marshall Shepherd can accurately measure precipitation close to the equator.

"The Eye of the Storm" follows NOAA researchers as they bravely fly through storms in order to capture pressure, temperature, and wind speed data essential for accurate predictions of a hurricane's direction and intensity.

"Hurricanes as 'Heat Engines' " features NASA's Jeff Halverson who visits a gas station and uses a regular automobile engine to illustrate how latent heat fuels hurricanes and drives their vertical and horizontal motion!

Through the video and related activities your students will:

Model the water cycle and compare their simulations to real-world phenomena.

Examine complex weather systems and compare interactions such as temperature, pressure, and wind speed.

Create models of buildings and other structures and test them for endurance in the face of simulated hurricane-force winds.

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