3rd Post: Okinawa's Typhoons

Okinawa, Japan is in the line of fire for typhoons.  Okinawa is located at about 27°N Latitude, it is the first ingredient to a typhoon, with a strong Coriolis Effect, which deflects the storm to the right, over Okinawa.  Below is an image of a typhoon deflected to the right due to the Coriolis Effect, provided by http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com.

The second ingredient to typhoon building is high sea surface temperatures, which is south of Okinawa, Japan around the Philippines. The diagram to the left, provided by www.abc.net.au, shows the average sea surface temperature globally, the average sea surface temperature around the Philippines is about 26°C to 28°C, perfect for typhoon construction.



The third ingredient is few changes of wind speed, the map below, provided by courseware.e-education.psu.edu show average wind speeds in southeast Asia, red is strong winds and blue/green is lower wind speeds.  Okinawa is in the yellow section of the map, with few changes in wind speed.

The forth ingredient to a typhoon is lots of water vapor, which is provided by the warm water around the Philippines as well as low water levels around the Indochina Islands.  And the final ingredient is some convergence as a trigger, with winds colliding with the storm in a different direction cause the typhoon to form and move over Okinawa.   

Because of the typhoons that hit Okinawa, the sea levels rise, forcing the closure of local businesses.  Due to high winds, extreme rain, and mass wasting, the island comes screeching to a halt.  The local Okinawans have adapted to the typhoons by constructing their buildings and houses out of concrete or bricks as seen below, in this picture provided by www.okistyle.com/realestate/.

As Marines on the island of Okinawa, when a typhoon approaches the island, we are forced to stay inside the barracks.  Marines, from the chow hall deliver food in a Humvee while wearing a bullet proof vest and helmet, ensuring there is no injury from a flying object.  Typhoons give a great reason for Marines to video record the weather, as shown in this video by a U.S. Marine during a typhoon, source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaQBqH9TYGg.