Ghellhonus
The Hydrological Setting

Presented by the Exploration Society's Institute of Planetological Natural History

Surface Weather Zones
Ghellhonus is a dynamic world in all respects, not the least of which is its weather.  A thick atmosphere and an active, hot sun make for a dynamic combination.  Hurricanes routinely race across the Western and Eastern Megantic Oceans, while the northern lands near the Baltic Sea are often known as the Tornado Belt, where year around super cells can spawn as many as 500 twisters per year.

Hurricanes
By far most hurricanes on Ghellhonus originate as tropical waves moving off of the north-western shores of Naussica.  Expelled throughout most of the year, these systems do not travel far from the coast before they begin to organize into coherent tropical depressions.  Perhaps half of them further evolve into tropical storms, and of those perhaps 90% become hurricanes.  most of them remain at category 2 or so, often feeding of of each other's energy, retarding each other's growth.  But all too often one encounters the proper conditions and develops into a super storm.  Most hurricanes travel across the Western Megantic Ocean, eventually striking close to or on the continent of Eolia before turning north, losing strength, and eventually striking the western shores of Amrosia.  As a result, that portion of the continent is very fertile indeed, covered with lush regions of plant growth.

From space, a single hurricane can dominate the planetary view.

The Eastern Megantic Ocean sees a great deal fewer hurricanes.  Many of these storms originate from the Western Megantic, having passed below Eolia and breaking into the Eastern's weather patterns.  Upon occasion, some will form with the Eastern waters themselves, but these are relatively rare, and often remain weak, with short life spans.  But even these can be very deadly storms, and at the same time play a definite role in the ecology of the region.  Much of the moisture the Hinterland receives, for instance, comes from Eastern storms which are drawn ashore.

The Tornado Belt
Throughout most of the year, great storms rise up from the plains of the Tiamat region, great columns and anvils of thunderheads spreading shadows across the plains.  And from many of these descend the terrifying apparitions of funnel clouds, tornados ripping into the foliage and animal life, leaving behind great swaths of bare ground in their wake.  From high above, the surface of Tiamat looks like some giant had randomly scribbled huge lines on the ground.  From the surface, travel in this region is often a lottery.  life has adapted to this, with many forms small and burrowing, about the only defense feasible for such a threat.  Airborne creatures are also common, but they too have learned to dive into the relative solace of animal burrows when when the wind shrieks and air turns green.

It is a combination of geography and prevailing weather patterns which have created the Tornado Belt, and in the grand scheme of things it is really only a temporary feature of the planet.  But it is a feature of the planet, a unique identifier, something that makes this world stand apart from all the others known to Man.

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Contents © John M. and Margo L. Dollan 2003-2004
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This Page first uploaded  February 22, 2004
Most recent update for this page March 13, 2004