This photo, taken by astronauts aboard the space shuttle Columbia in January 1990, shows the circular motion of the clouds in a tropical storm. Tropical storms have wind speeds from 63 to 119 km/h (39 to 74 mph), high winds that cause substantial numbers of treefalls in rain forests in their paths. Such disturbances provide an opportunity for new rain forest species to establish areas that were previously dominated by large, light-blocking trees. |