Question

Hurricanes form near the equator because:

A. Earth's rotation is strongest near the equator.
B. the water near the equator is warmest.
C. tropical disturbances form near the poles.
D. winds are weakest near the equator.

Answer 1

I would say b). Hurricanes need warm waters/weather in order to form. However, you should also know that hurricanes can't form along the equator, or an already formed hurricane cannot cross the equator. This is because the forces due to the Coriolis effect will not deflect winds in the direction needed for the hurricane to sustain formation. The Coriolis forces become negligible near the equator. But of course, your question is referring to `near` the equator, so your solution is b).