Hurricane dynamics and cloud microphysics

Tropical convective clouds play an important part in the Earth's <a href="/facts/Climate_system/5JyveutF">climate system</a>. Convection and release of <a href="/facts/Latent_heat/QCIWSGln">latent heat</a> transports energy from the surface into the <a href="/facts/Upper_atmosphere/5yH29VP8">upper atmosphere</a>. Clouds have a higher <a href="/facts/Albedo/TJDRdKEB">albedo</a> than the underlying ocean, which causes more incoming <a href="/facts/Solar_radiation/SI26I7aD">solar radiation</a> to be reflected back to space. Since the tops of <a href="/facts/Tropical_system/FQzVXly7">tropical systems</a> are much cooler than the surface of the Earth, the presence of high convective clouds cools the climate system.
The most recognizable cloud system in the tropics is the <a href="/facts/Hurricane/FQzVXly7">hurricane</a>. In addition to the important climatic effects of tropical weather systems, hurricanes possess enough energy to cause massive death and destruction. Therefore, their accurate prediction is of utmost importance.
<a href="/facts/Cloud_microphysics/TuhjzA5B">Cloud microphysics</a> describe the structure and properties of clouds on the <a href="/facts/Microscopic_scale/EHg18xvy">microscopic scale</a>.

Hurricane dynamics and cloud microphysics open-in-new

Hurricane dynamics and cloud microphysics