Earth Science: Geology, the Environment, and the UniverseUnit 4: The Atmosphere and the OceansWebQuest Projects 1Hurricane Hunting: Flights into Danger and Discovery A hurricane churns in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Haiti. With sustained winds over 115 miles per hour and barometric pressure readings hovering around 945 millibars, meteorologists with the National Hurricane Center are concerned. Is this storm poised to strike the United States? How intense will it be when it makes landfall? Will evacuations be necessary, and if so, in what specific parts of the East Coast? While meteorologists can make predictions of this type from the ground with some degree of accuracy, the potential financial and human costs demand the most current, precise information possible – information from the inside of the hurricane. Who do forecasters call? The hurricane hunters. These brave pilots and crew members fly into storms so intense that the wings of the plane are obscured by clouds and blinding rain. As the plane is buffeted by hurricane-force winds, crew members are strapped into their seats to prevent ending up horizontal on the cabin ceiling. Flying missions can last from eight to ten hours, while meteorologists and engineers on these “flying weather stations” collect data relayed directly to the National Hurricane Center. The measurements help meteorologists understand how a storm is developing, and how intense it will be when it makes landfall. A hurricane hunter’s job is dangerous, but incredibly important. As National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration pilot Captain David Tennesen put it, “We’re here to save lives and property.” Hurricane warnings are issued to pinpoint areas which could be affected by high winds, heavy rain, and flooding. Advance warnings allow time for purchasing supplies, protecting property, or evacuating to safer locations. Millions of people and hundreds of millions of dollars in property can be threatened by a single hurricane approaching the coast. The data collected by hurricane hunters as they fly through these storms help forecasters make credible, life-saving decisions. In this WebQuest, you will explore the job of a hurricane hunter, and learn what it is like to fly through some of the largest and most intense storms on the planet.
Your task in this WebQuest is to learn about the challenges, rewards, and excitement of being of a hurricane hunter. You will learn who hurricane hunters are, how they work together during missions to gather weather data, and what it is like to fly through a solid ring of violent thunderstorms into the eye of a hurricane. Answering a series of questions about hurricanes and how hurricane hunters study these storms will guide your research about the topic. Reading the stories and viewing photographs will give insight into the unique perspectives of these brave men and women. You will use the information you gather to create a scrapbook which chronicles what it is like to be a hurricane hunter. The purpose of this scrapbook is to provide information about the important role hurricane hunters play in protecting lives and property in the path of these gigantic storms.
http://www.hurricanehunters.com http://home.att.net/~typhoon1/index.html http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/satellite.shtml http://www.aoc.noaa.gov/index.html http://www.moaa.org/magazine/July2003/f_eye.asp http://www.ecsc.org/hurricanehunters.html http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/grounders/hurricanehunters.html http://www.hurricanehunter.com http://www.usatoday.com/weather/hurricane/2003-07-16-flying-hurricanes_x.htm http://www.usatoday.com/weather/resources/askjack/wjack3.htm http://www.fema.gov/kids/huhunt.htm http://snrs.unl.edu/amet351/young/
1-2 weeks to answer the question set and design and produce the scrapbook.
Read the following series of questions before beginning your research. As you explore each Web site, look for answers to the questions. Questions about Hurricanes and Hurricane Hunting
Next, visit the Web sites listed. Use the information from your research to
record Finally, create a scrapbook which chronicles the challenges and excitement of being a hurricane hunter. The scrapbook should include information about hurricanes, as well as photographs, descriptions, quotes, and interesting stories from hurricane hunting missions. Try to include scrapbook pages which include, in both visual and verbal form, as many of the following items as possible:
The scrapbook you create should be visually appealing, while including information about hurricanes and how they are studied by hurricane hunters. Use photographs, quotes, and interesting stories and facts to convey information. Be sure to give credit for any photographs, diagrams, stories, or quotes used in creating the scrapbook somewhere within the book.
While completing this WebQuest, you have learned about the job of a hurricane hunter. You have investigated some characteristics of hurricanes, and learned how crew members on hurricane hunting aircraft collect data about these storms. You have read interesting accounts of what it is like to fly through the eyewall of a hurricane and into the eye of the storm. By gathering information to answer questions about these topics, you have increased your knowledge about the important function hurricane hunters perform. You have used your research , writing, and creative skills to create a scrapbook which shows what it is like to be a hurricane hunter. The scrapbook you have created can be used to help others learn more about this dangerous but necessary vocation. |  |
