Analyze the The Perfect Storm Essay

Severe Weather Analysis THE PERFECT STORM Due: March 25, 2010 50 Points Using data from the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and NCEP/NCAR (National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research) and any other peripheral sources, please provide a discussion and analysis of the severe weather events surrounding the loss of the Andrea Gail and rescue of the Satori as presented in the book, The Perfect Storm, by Sebastian Junger. You are given the following clues: 1. Dates: 27 October 1991 – 1 November 1991 2. General location: North Atlantic Ocean, latitude/longitude coordinates from text 3.
Events as portrayed in the novel. 4. The NOAA special storm report for this event (below) From these initial data points, use maps, the library, the internet and your knowledge to develop a more fully synthesized description and explanation of weather events as they relate to the events experienced by the crew of the Andrea Gail, Coast Guard and yacht Satori. NOAA page for the “Perfect Storm” http://www. ncdc. noaa. gov/oa/satellite/satelliteseye/cyclones/pfctstorm91/pfctstorm. html The following websites will be useful to develop maps. http://www. cdc. noaa. gov/Composites/Day/ http://www. cdc. noaa. gov/cgi-bin/Composites/printpage. l To characterize the storm and its development, and to relate these factors to the story, you may map any variable/aspect of the days that these events were occurring. Consider and present factors such as storm intensity and track, fronts, jet stream and surface winds. I suggest using (mapping) some of the following variables: temperature, specific humidity (for moisture), vector wind and geopotential height (to show pressure disturbances) to represent the atmosphere at the surface, and possibly at other levels such as the lower troposphere (850 mb), middle troposphere (500 mb) and upper troposphere (300 mb).
Based on what you know of storms, describe how the atmospheric environment contributed to the development of the weather systems that destroyed the Andrea Gail. You have been given the what, the when and the where – you must provide the why and the how. Deliverables: Technical memorandum: Minimum of 3 typed pages of text diagnosing the weather event and relating specific portions of the storm’s anatomy to the location of the vessels and events in The Perfect Storm, plus maps. Cite all references and images.