Hurricane Katrina, which hit the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Mississippi on August 29, 2005, had the second lowest ever recorded barometric pressure at 0.920 mb. Convert this pressure to units of…
a. atmospheres.
b. inches of Hg (as would appear on weather report).
The correct answer and explanation is :
To convert the barometric pressure of Hurricane Katrina (0.920 mb) to other units, we will follow the relevant conversion formulas.
a. Conversion to Atmospheres (atm)
1 atmosphere (atm) is equal to 1013.25 millibars (mb). To convert 0.920 mb to atmospheres, we can use the following formula:
[
\text{Pressure (atm)} = \frac{\text{Pressure (mb)}}{1013.25 \, \text{mb/atm}}
]
Substitute the given value:
[
\text{Pressure (atm)} = \frac{0.920}{1013.25} = 0.000907 \, \text{atm}
]
So, the pressure of Hurricane Katrina in atmospheres is approximately 0.000907 atm.
b. Conversion to Inches of Hg (inHg)
To convert millibars (mb) to inches of mercury (inHg), we can use the following conversion factor:
1 inch of mercury (inHg) = 33.8639 millibars (mb).
Thus, the formula for the conversion is:
[
\text{Pressure (inHg)} = \frac{\text{Pressure (mb)}}{33.8639 \, \text{mb/inHg}}
]
Substitute the given value:
[
\text{Pressure (inHg)} = \frac{0.920}{33.8639} = 0.0272 \, \text{inHg}
]
Therefore, the pressure of Hurricane Katrina in inches of mercury is approximately 0.0272 inHg.
Explanation:
Hurricane Katrina’s barometric pressure of 0.920 mb is extremely low, reflecting the intensity of the storm. Lower atmospheric pressure is a hallmark of powerful storms like hurricanes, as air rushes into the system to replace rising warm air at the center, causing the barometric pressure to drop.
- Atmospheres (atm) is a unit often used to measure pressures relative to Earth’s surface, where 1 atm represents standard atmospheric pressure at sea level. Given that 0.920 mb is much lower than the standard 1013.25 mb, it reflects the very low atmospheric pressure associated with a severe storm.
- Inches of mercury (inHg) is the unit most commonly used in weather reports, especially in the United States, where barometric pressures are often reported using this unit. The conversion reflects the relatively small value in inches of mercury, consistent with how low the pressure was at the center of Hurricane Katrina.
This intense pressure was one of the contributing factors to the severity of the storm and its widespread impacts on the Gulf Coast.