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Home / IAS Preparation / Bomb Cyclone

Bomb Cyclone - Formation, Weather Conditions, History, & Other Important Facts for UPSC.

Last Updated on Jan 19, 2024
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Bomb Cyclones are extra-tropical cyclones. Bombogenesis, a meteorological term, describes the rapid intensification of a midlatitude cyclone over 24 hours, indicated by a significant drop in millibars. The criteria for "bombogenesis" vary by latitude, requiring a drop of at least 24 millibars over 24 hours at 60 degrees latitude and about 17.8 millibars at the latitude of New York City. This phenomenon occurs when a cold air mass meets a warm air mass, particularly over warm ocean waters, commonly known as a bomb cyclone.

This article will provide complete information about what is bomb cyclone is, their formation, causes, impact, region of occurrence, how they are different from hurricanes, etc., for better and more detailed UPSC IAS Exam preparation.

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What is Bomb Cyclone?

The term bomb cyclone is another name for a storm system named bombogenesis or explosive cyclogenesis. In simple words, bombogenesis can be explained as a large, intense mid-latitude storm that has low pressure at its center accompanied by blizzards, severe thunderstorms, to heavy precipitation.

It is usually referred to as a bomb because its central pressure decreases very quickly, i.e. barometric pressure falls at least 0.71 of an inch, which means 24 millibars in 24 hours (this process denotes that a storm has undergone bombogenesis).

Definition

Extra tropical cyclone with low pressure at the center that falls very quickly.

Characteristics

Massive, Intense, destructive( severe thunderstorms, heavy precipitation, flooding, ice, and snow), mid-latitude storm, strong winds.

Formation
  • When a cold air mass collides with a warm air mass resulting in a cold front.
  • During winter, from late fall to early spring.

Cause

Intense baroclinic instability, tropospheric frontogenesis, air-sea interaction, and sudden and large latent heat release.

Region 

Northwest Pacific, Northern region of the Atlantic Ocean, Southwest Pacific, Southern Region of the Atlantic Ocean, North of the Atlantic Gulf Stream, Western Pacific, and

Australia’s Eastern Seaboard in the Southern Hemisphere

Check out this linked article on Types of cyclones for UPSC exams now.

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History of Bomb Cyclones

Michael E. Adams used the word bombogenesis for the first time in his thesis for his Master of Science Degree. The term bombogenesis is derived from two terms, namely:

  • Bomb: which refers to explosive development.
  • Cyclogenesis means the formation of a cyclone or storm.

Few examples of Bomb Cyclones

Formation of Bomb Cyclone

Bomb Cyclone usually occurs when a cold air mass collides with warm air. When air rises, it will produce a vacuum effect, which will result in lower atmospheric pressure.

  • Over the warmer ocean, heat and moisture are abundant, but when the cool continental air moves overhead, it brings a difference in temperature. Due to this, the lower atmosphere becomes unstable, which makes the air rise, cool, and condense, which leads to the formation of clouds and precipitation.
  • The rising column of air influences the rate of precipitation. The faster the air rises and cools, the heavier the precipitation will be.
  • Bomb Cyclone weather conditions: very heavy rain and snow may fall during the bomb cyclone.
  • Wind Speed: 75 – 80 mph.

Most storms always have lower atmospheric pressure, but in a bomb cyclone, the atmospheric pressure lowers very quickly as the storm intensifies. Here, we can say that it is not the lowest pressure that defines a bombogenesis/ bomb cyclone, but what defines this process is how quickly the pressure within the storm falls.

For Example, The Western North Atlantic is a very favorable area for the storms to become Bomb Cyclone or to undergo Bombogenesis.

  • It is a region where cold air from North America collides with warm air over the Atlantic Ocean.
  • Warm waters of the Gulf Stream may also provide a boost to these kinds of storms. (A reason that not all north eastern storms undergo bombogenesis).

Also read: Types of Tsunami here for UPSC Geography Preparation

Causes of Bomb Cyclone

Bomb Cyclones are caused by the sudden drop in the low pressure at the center of the storm, i.e. intense baroclinic instability. As the pressure decreases, the intensity of the bomb cyclone increases. Other reasons for the formation of Bomb Cyclone are as follows:

  • Tropospheric frontogenesis
  • Air-sea interaction
  • Sudden and large latent heat release

Occurrence of Bomb Cyclone

The occurrence of bomb cyclones is notable in specific regions:

  1. The Northwest Pacific
  2. The Northern region of the Atlantic Ocean
  3. The Southwest Pacific
  4. The Southern region of the Atlantic Ocean

Speculation arises about potential new regions being susceptible to bomb cyclones due to climate change. The occurrence of explosive cyclones is notably higher in the northern Atlantic Gulf Stream, Western Pacific, and the Southern Hemisphere, particularly around the eastern coast of Australia. Cyclones south of 50°S that deepen explosively often exhibit an equator-ward movement, differing from the poleward motion typical in most Northern Hemisphere bomb cyclones.

Learn about Volcanoes, here.

Difference Between Bomb Cyclone & Hurricane

Bomb Cyclone

Hurricane

In Bomb Cyclones, cold air intensifies the storms.

In a hurricane, the cold air rapidly weakens the storm.

Bomb Cyclones are formed during winter or from late fall to early spring.

Hurricanes are common in summer or late spring to early fall.

The phenomenon of mid to higher latitudes.

Phenomenon of tropical areas.

They are cold-core storms, which means that the center is colder than the surroundings at the same height in the troposphere.

They are warm-core storms, which means that the center is colder than the surroundings at the same height in the troposphere.

To know more about Hurricanes for the UPSC exam check out the linked article.

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Bomb Cyclone FAQs

Bomb Cyclone/bombogenesis can be explained as a large, intense mid-latitude storm that has low pressure at its center accompanied by blizzards to severe thunderstorms to heavy precipitation. It is formed when a cold air mass collides with warm air. When air rises, it will produce a vacuum effect which will result in lower atmospheric pressure.

No, in Bomb Cyclones cold air intensify the storms whereas in a hurricane the cold air rapidly weakens the storm.

Cyclones are categorized into four types depending on the intensity of low pressure at centerTropical CycloneExtratropical cyclonePolar CycloneMesocycloneBomb cyclone is an extra-tropical cyclone.

Bomb Cyclones are caused by the sudden drop in the low pressure at the center of the storm i.e. intense baroclinic instability.

They are usually referred to as bombs because their central pressure decreases very quickly i.e. barometric pressure falls at least 0.71 of an inch which means 24 millibars in 24 hours (this process denotes that a storm has undergone bombogenesis).
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