Help! Lots of questions, trying to understand.

[TerraMom]

:? Is there a physicist(s) in the house?

I'm been on the PMP site trying to get some kind of insight in how models work, what is there basis, etc.

Basically, I would like to know if the various models are reliable when it comes to predicting the behaviour of an extremely strong storm like Isabel. For days, they have been saying she would turn north, but she is essentially going WWNW. Does a strong storm influences its environment?

Is there a relationship between the strength of a storm and its mass. I'm thinking about it from a physics point of view. It is a system which has a mass and hence inertia and unless and until it is acting upon by another system/object/whatever which has a strong opposing force than its inertia than it should continue along a given path.

Someone of the other board said that strength doesn't have anything to do with it, it's like a top and so it can be acted upon by a much lessor force. But, my husband the engineer, suggested that it's probably more like a gyro and the faster a gyro spins the harder it is to move.

I'm tired of having models throw in my face. There is science behind those models and I'm wondering if that has been forgotten.

[john186292]

nice details on models at hurricanealley.com or .org.
go to tropical models page and look for link to "model details".
I have seen posters denigrate the create own environment idea.
No storm has ever beaten a well defined front, i see on one board. Since the nhc guys and gals surely know of the massive storm inertia idea, and crank that into their ruminations as they feel it is realistic, I would not feel a need to add that factor into what they put out as a track. EC and UK are said to be best models for Izzy, by poster called DT, who is semipro or pro met...not sure which. If hubby is engineer, make the guy spring for luxurious evacuation hotel right now, in Chicago, and cease all worry.
john