do you know what bombogenesis is? It is a natural phenomenon directly related to storms. The east coast of the United States is undergoing a very severe weather change. There are strong winds, heavy snowfall and coastal flooding as it has not happened for a long time. It is a phenomenon that is causing power outages, disruption of transportation services and travel problems for thousands of people.
In just one week, five states in that country declared an emergency. As in the case of Massachusetts, where 75 cm of snow fell. More than 6000 flights had to be cancelled, which for the United States means a disaster.
Bombogenesis is a natural phenomenon related to storms
The phenomenon happens when a storm intensifies rapidly. However, it is not the first time it occurs, four years ago, in 2018, there was a similar phenomenon in the northwest of the country. Gradually, they are occurring more frequently.
Bombogenesis occurs when an already strong storm rapidly intensifies even more. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this occurs in the middle layers of the atmosphere. When the cyclone’s atmospheric pressure drops below 24 millibars in a 24-hour period, this phenomenon occurs.
NOAA explains that when a warm air mass collides with a cold air mass, bombogenesis can occur. The affected regions are declared in emergency and are usually prone to suffer this type of storms.
Meteorologists explain the phenomenon
According to meteorologists, the term bombogenesis is well known. It is also known as bomb cyclone. It takes that name because it is similar to when a bombing occurs. This meteorological phenomenon can take on the appearance of a hurricane. It has very similar characteristics. Very strong winds, heavy rains and even a center of the storm, similar to the eye of the hurricane.
When the storm began on the East Coast, the weather service urged residents to stay indoors. Millions of people stayed indoors throughout the weekend, unable to go outside. The northeastern United States does not have high winds. It has been four years since a high wind warning was issued.
The weather phenomenon caused many problems. Roads were closed for days. In Massachusetts alone, more than 80,000 homes were left without electricity. In New York, the accumulated snowfall reached 61 centimeters.
The dynamics of bombogenesis were first explained in 2016 by Frederick Sanders and John Gyakum. The meteorologists published a scientific paper and they were the ones who gave that name. They belong to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and work in the meteorology department.
This type of phenomenon is not a common occurrence. However, the proximity to the ocean is a factor that favors its occurrence. The warm air mass in the area can trigger a bombogenesis if it meets a cold air mass coming from the north.
