Over the land
A cyclone loses strength on land.
A cyclone reaches the coast
A cyclone moves from the ocean towards the land.
What happens to its strength once it is over land?
What this lesson covers
The idea
When a cyclone reaches land its supply of moist air is cut off, so it gradually loses strength.
A cyclone reaches the coast
A cyclone moves from the ocean towards the land.
What happens to its strength once it is over land?
- It gradually weakens
- It gets stronger and stronger
- It stays exactly the same
From sea to land
Press Next step to follow the cyclone.
No moist air, no strength
A cyclone gets its strength from warm, moist air above the ocean. When it moves to land, that source of moist air is cut off, and it slowly loses its strength.
When a cyclone reaches land, its supply of moist air is cut off and it gradually loses strength.
Notes
On land, a cyclone's moist air supply is cut off, so it gradually weakens.
Check yourself
A cyclone loses strength after reaching land because …
Once on land, a cyclone …
A cyclone gets its moist air from the …
Which of these is needed to keep a cyclone strong?
- its source of moist air is cut off — correct. Yes!
- the land is too cold for clouds. The book says the source of moist air is cut off.
- the sea becomes empty. It loses the moist air from the ocean.
- immediately disappears. It loses strength gradually.
- gradually loses its strength — correct. Yes!
- gains strength. Without moist air it loses strength.
- land. On land the supply is cut off. The warm ocean provides the moist air.
- mountains. The moist air comes from the warm ocean.
- warm ocean — correct. Yes!
- A supply of moist air — correct. Yes!
- A supply of dry sand. It is the moist air supply that keeps a cyclone strong.
- A high mountain. Moist air keeps it strong. On land it is cut off.