The Dean of Instruction is a Hurricane - Is Hurricane Dean Headed for the Gulf?

Hurricane Dean is not only full of hot air, he seems to be upset with his students, while not lacking any personal work ethic himself. Hurricane Deans performance is intensifying and looks to be ready to break Category V wind speeds. It looks like the NOAA and the National Hurricane Center owe Hurricane Dean a few extra credits.

Hurricane Dean is already a Killer and has taken lives in Jamaica man. Its path is projected to wreak havoc on the Grand Cayman Islands, Yucatan Peninsula and then head towards the Gulf Coast somewhere near the border town of Brownsville, TX. This is the first Major Tropical Storm of Hurricane level during the 2007 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Officials in all potential regions of the storms projected path are watching closely and many have advised evacuations.

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News reports state: "Officials urged residents there and in the tiny Cayman Islands to begin preparing. Tourists were advised to return home, if they can. Forecasters warned that the Category 4 monster with winds of 145 mph could grow even stronger -- possibly becoming a top-scale Category 5. By the time it hits or brushes Haiti, Jamaica, eastern Cuba and the Caymans this weekend, it could have 155-mph winds, bringing it close to Category 5 status.

Will Hurricane Dean finish with a bang or will Hurricane Dean follow the path of Presidential Hopeful Howard Dean during the last election - It's is anyone's guess. Hurricane Dean will not be the only Hurricane this season, just the first one and we know from the 2005 Hurricane Season that Hurricanes the get into the Gulf of Mexico and come up from under Cuba, tend to be some of the most deadly.

The Dean of Instruction is a Hurricane - Is Hurricane Dean Headed for the Gulf?

Deadly Hurricane Noel to Hit Florida

As a Tropical Storm Noel has already killed 37 people in Haiti and sent 1,000s to evacuate to shelters, at that time the winds were only about 50 miles per hour, but since then the winds have drastically increased. There was flash flooding warning in Puerto Rico as well, with at least 8-inches of rain expected. The ports had to be closed and Weather Experts fear that this is the late storm scenario that they had feared.

This 2007 Atlantic Tropical Season appears to be light, but late October - Early November Hurricanes that have hit the US Coast have historically been problematic and sometimes wicked. Noel is already a killer storm and it will grow as it leaves the coast of Cuba and if could either enter the Gulf of Mexico or hit Florida and bush its way up the US Eastern Seaboard, which is not a very pleasant thought considering the West Coast Wildfires, our nation has had enough for one year already.

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The NOAA and National Hurricane Center are keeping a close eye on this one, as it re-forms into a stronger storm and Hurricane. The Hurricane Hunters have been dispatched as well and the satellite images and Infrared show a pretty large footprint and circulation, as Hurricane Noel has a lot of pent up energy and if it all comes together in a focused blow to the US Coastline it could cost billions of dollars in damage and tremendous flooding too.

Floridians were already getting prepared 5-days before the expected landfall, they know all too well how damaging these storms can be, and they are not taking any chances with the Deadly Hurricane Noel and for good reason.

Deadly Hurricane Noel to Hit Florida

The Climate of Finland

The climate of Finland has the characteristics of both the maritime and continental climate.

Depending on the location of a city the climate can be very different. Those areas which are located very close to sea enjoy cool winter and mild summer while those located inland experience cold winters and warm summers. For instance at Helsinki, a maritime location, the coldest month stands at -4.5 C which is not so severe for its high latitude while a continental location like Jyvaskyla records a temperature of -8.5 C in its coldest month. Similarly due to its continental location, Jyvaskyla has a midday temperature of 21 C as compared to that of Helsinki of 19 C. This clearly shows that the continental locations are warmer in summer and cooler in winter than those of maritime locations.

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The precipitation in Norway is, mostly in the form of snow, due to its northerly location. The precipitation is more in the cities located near the sea due to the northern Atlantic influence than those located farther inland. For instance the total annual precipitation at Helsinki is 642 mm, at Jyvaskyla it is 638 mm while at Sodankyla it is only 507 mm. But even such a moderate precipitation is ample enough to sustain thick vegetation since at higher latitudes; evaporation is less due to lower temperatures.

In short the climate of Finland exhibits both the maritime and continental varieties, depending upon the location of a place. The rainfall, however, is abundant enough to support thick forests.

The Climate of Finland

Platinum Thermocouple Wires

Thermocouples Defined

Thermocouples are sensors used to measure temperature. Thermocouple wires are usually made of two dissimilar metals joined at one sending end. A thermocouple wire functions by forming a sensing point where the cold junction compensation or CJC end can be read.

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There are many types of thermocouple wires, and these types are used for different purposes. Thermocouple types are named according to alphabets such as B, R, S, J, K, T, E, etc. The types differ according to the metal content of the wire.

The Platinum Wire

Among the different types of wires, one of the most favoured types is called the platinum thermocouple wire. The conductors of this type are often made of platinum or platinum-rhodium alloys for its conductors. Such wires are classified into three types. Class B PT wires are suitable for use in temperatures up to 1800 °C. They produce a similar output between 0 to 42 °C. As such, they are suitable for use below 50 °C. The Class R PT wires are used in temperatures up to 1600 °C. Class S PT wires are among the purest of PT wire types. It is similar to the class R in its temperature limit but is used as the calibration standard for the melting point of Argentum or gold, which is 1064.43 °C.

Uses

A Platinum thermocouple wire is often used in high-temperature measurements. Unlike other thermocouple mixes, the PT wire made from platinum is reserved for use in costly projects where high-temperature measurements are expected.

Platinum Thermocouple Wires

The Climate of Sweden

The climate of Sweden varies from place to place due to great latitudinal differences. Generally the climate is very cold in winter and moderate in summer.

The northern part of the country experiences very severe winter with as much as six months having the temperatures below freezing point. The southern part is considerably warmer with only three winter months. Stockholm, for instance, due to the marine influence of the Atlantic Ocean enjoys a very moderate winter for its latitude. The January temperature at Stockholm is 27 F (-3 C) while other places in Europe at the same latitude and which are out of the marine influence record temperatures as low as 10 F ( -12 C). The same marine influence keeps the summer temperature moderate. The warmest month at Stockholm records 62 F (17 C) while most of Northern European cities at the same latitude including Moscow record more than 74 F (23 C). The best season to visit Sweden is from May to September when the day temperatures are around 60 F (16 C) and one can move around easily in light warm clothes.

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The precipitation in Sweden is heaviest in the south west where it exceeds 15 in. (381 mm) while in the Lapland it averages 10 in. (250 mm). The precipitation is heaviest in late summer and lightest in spring. Winters generally have a clear sky and bright sunshine.

In short Sweden has a very cold climate in its northern region. The southern region, under the marine influence of the Atlantic Ocean has a milder climate.

The Climate of Sweden

Tropical Storm - Fascinating, Dangerous

For centuries, men and women have been asking one of the grand questions of life. Why do storms occur? Weather forecasters, storm experts and others have been studying storms for years and have uncovered some of the factors that contribute to a tropical storm. While much of the mystery has been eliminated, there are still a lot of unanswered questions about this phenomenon of nature.

One of the basic reasons for storm activity is that the atmosphere that sustains life on earth is constantly seeking a balance between warm air and cool air, between moist conditions and dry conditions, etc. When an excess of heat builds around the equator and tropical areas of the globe, that heat must be dissipated, generally to the latitudes slightly farther from the tropics. A tropical storm is nature's way of telling us something is out of balance.

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Born in the area of warm tropical waters, where surface temperatures of the ocean are usually above 80 degrees (Fahrenheit), tropical storms are the result of natural processes. When air and water vapor move upward (convection), clouds literally gather into thunderstorms. When this occurs at a certain distance from the equator, rotation can begin. This is the first sign of a different form of tropical weather - a hurricane.

The hurricane is the extreme version of a tropical storm. (They are also called typhoons and tropical cyclones, depending on where you are in the world.) In the presence of warmer water, a storm can intensify beyond the level of a tropical storm, primarily because of atmospheric instability and heat build up. When winds at upper levels of the atmosphere pull away rising air, the storm moves from the equator, rotating all the while. If the wind speeds remain between 39 and 74 miles per hour, the earth is experiencing a tropical storm. Should wind speed rise above 74, a hurricane is born.

The extremes of speed and rotation in a hurricane create a unique feature of this storm - the eye. Quite simply, the eye of a hurricane is very calm compared to the rest of these often-massive storms. The low pressure in this area creates clearer conditions than are found in the other parts of the hurricane, where thick clouds and strong winds are key features. Temperature levels vary within the eye as well, with cooler air near the surface of the ocean and warmer temperatures at higher levels. Scientists have found that this area of calm can vary in size from a few miles wide to a diameter of more than 100 miles.

While nature is seeking balance with tropical storms of all intensity levels, human beings continue to look for ways to prepare for these massive storms. One of the keys to this preparation is knowing when the highest wind speeds will arrive at a particular location. These destructive winds are found in the wall of the eye, so forecasters try to focus on when the eye wall will cross various geographical locations. While life on the planet may be negatively impacted by the destructive hurricane, all tropical storms are necessary to maintain a balance in earth's atmosphere.

Tropical Storm - Fascinating, Dangerous

Urban Heat, Global Warming, Space Radiation, Earth Core Spin Cycle; Which is It?

The debate over Global Warming is heating up; perhaps that is what is making the ambient temperatures rise only 1.5 degrees in the last 50 years. Insignificant you think 1.5 degrees? Well not if you talk to the French Scientists who swear all this is being caused by CO2 emissions. Is it really now?

Urban Heat, Global Warming, Space Radiation, Earth Core Spin Cycle; Which is it? Let's us consider Urban Heat for a moment shall we?

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Urban Heat:

Urban Heat is a huge issue as metro areas are 5 degrees hotter on average, this means the airflows over push the heat up and affect the airflows coming across, this is a huge issue. Concrete, asphalt, heck I know this from Sailplane Flying and general aviation.

Space Radiation:

Space Radiation is an issue too. Remember we are a system within a system, within a system and everything effects everything else as we are all connected.

Earth Core Spin Cycles:

Theories of Earth's Core Spin with plate tectonics, volcanic, etc. This too is an issue, thermal energy from the interior and as the ice melts, poles shift and weight distribution from glacier melt, ice melt, icebergs moving, even ground water changes in flows all change plate tectonics, planet balance. Less balance more movement, more movement more friction = heat.

The center of the Earth moves too 400-700 years another theory predicts 800-1200 more than the crust. Gyro-affect. As that turns inside it hits areas of variance in density, more heat, heat needs to escape and that heats up ocean, volcanoes, etc. Yes this is a factor too. In fact we do not know, but it could be major one.

We must consider all facts and figures and not limit ourselves to only Global Warming caused my mankind's emissions of CO2. I certainly hope this article is of interest and that is has propelled thought. The goal is simple; to help you in your quest to be the best in 2007. I thank you for reading my many articles on diverse subjects, which interest you.

Urban Heat, Global Warming, Space Radiation, Earth Core Spin Cycle; Which is It?