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What is a low pressure system of tropical origin in the western Pacific with max sustained winds of at least 74 mph?

User Aswan
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Final answer:

A low pressure system of tropical origin in the western Pacific with max sustained winds of at least 74 mph is known as a typhoon. These systems are characterized by their strong winds, heavy rainfall, and the cyclonic rotation imparted by the Earth's rotation, with a counterclockwise direction in the northern hemisphere.

Step-by-step explanation:

A low pressure system of tropical origin in the western Pacific with maximum sustained winds of at least 74 mph is called a typhoon. Just like hurricanes in the Atlantic, typhoons are massive storm systems that arise over warm ocean waters and involve low atmospheric pressures, strong winds, and heavy rainfall. The destructive power of these storms is due to the atmospheric pressure being lower than the surrounding environment, enabling moist air to rise and condense, leading to clouds and precipitations. In the Pacific Ocean, typhoons are essentially the same meteorological phenomena as hurricanes, but they carry a different name because they occur in a different part of the world. These storm systems become increasingly destructive as their wind velocity increases, often leading to significant damage in affected areas.

Inducing such high wind speeds and storm conditions requires a combination of factors, including warm sea temperatures above 80 °F and the Earth's rotation, which imparts a cyclonic rotation to the system. In the northern hemisphere, this rotation is counterclockwise due to the Coriolis force. The typhoon's eye, usually the storm's calmest region, can have drastically lower atmospheric pressures compared to the surrounding areas, often resulting in a visible low-pressure pattern from space.

User Rogercampos
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