CoconutCandy
(User)
Tue Aug 25 2009 10:20 AM
The Tale of 2 Cyclones - Appearances Can Be Deceiving!

OK. Check this out.

Here are 2 Passive Microwave Images of 2 different cyclones. (Hey! No fair peeking!)

Guess, from looking at the images, which is the stronger of the two?



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Yep, little Tropical Storm HILDA (Top) is at least 10 Kts. STRONGER than TS Ignacio (Bottom), which is much closer to Mexico.

Seems that Ignacio, with it's broad, spiral banding features and vast aerial expanse and the harbingers of a nacent eyewall-like formation, and nice vertical alignment, certainly APPEARS to be, by far, the stronger of the two.

But actually HILDA, with it's partially exposed circulation, small size and lack of any banding features at all, is fully 10 Kts. stronger.

Go figure ?!? Thoughts? Comments?


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