RAS question
Cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean are called:
Correct answer: (B) Hurricanes.
Tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean are called hurricanes.
Explanation
The naming depends on the ocean basin, not on a different basic storm type. NOAA Ocean Exploration states that in the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific, the term "hurricane" is used for severe rotating storms with high-velocity winds around a central low-pressure core. The same kind of disturbance is called a typhoon in the Northwest Pacific, while cyclones occur in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean. So, for an RAS question asking specifically about the Atlantic Ocean, "hurricanes" is the precise basin-specific term, while "cyclone" remains the broad category used differently across regions.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Willy-Willies is linked with Australia, so it does not name Atlantic tropical cyclones.
- (C) Typhoons refer to the same type of disturbance in the Northwest Pacific, not in the Atlantic Ocean.
- (D) Cyclone is the generic term, used specifically for the Indian Ocean rather than the Atlantic.
Concept
This tests the World Geography convention of naming tropical cyclones by ocean basin. It recurs in RAS because map-based climatology questions often check whether candidates can match weather phenomena with their regional terminology.