Editor's note: With both earthquakes and hurricanes in the news, we decided to ask a few questions of CNN Severe Weather Expert (and 360 contributor) Chad Myers.

Q: What causes a hurricane to change speed or to change course?

Chad Myers: Hurricanes do not determine their own path, rather they depend on upper-level steering winds to determine their course. These upper-level winds come from other large-scale weather patterns in the area, such as large areas of high pressure, cold-fronts, or troughs. If none of these are present, hurricanes will stay relatively motionless. If the hurricane moves into an area of strong steering winds, it will speed up. Forecasting the future path a hurricane consists of forecasting exactly how many different weather features will evolve, which is a very difficult process. That is why a projected path is often subject to large errors five or so days in the future. In fact, the computers that run "models" are some of the fastest in the world and still they are still not close to perfect.

Q: Why does hurricane season occur during the summer/fall?

Myers: Hurricane season for the North Atlantic officially begins on June 1st and ends on November 30th. That is not to say, however, that storms cannot form before or after the official season. One of the ingredients necessary to form tropical systems is an ocean temperature of at least 80 degrees F. The warm water evaporates, forming water vapor, which is the "fuel" for the storm. Ocean temperatures for most of the North Atlantic only reach this temperature during the summer and fall, making conditions right during this time for the formation of tropical storms and hurricanes. In other parts of the world, such as the western Pacific, the water can be warm enough all year to support storms.

Q: Much has been reported about the controversies at the National Hurricane center. Can we feel confident those problems will not affect the center's ability to predict hurricanes?

Myers: We have full confidence in the National Hurricane Center's ability to fulfill their duties despite the recent controversies. The NHC staff contains many of the leading experts in the world regarding tropical cyclone formation and prediction, and they keep each other accountable for their forecasts. Just like any office, there are problems from time to time, but they are professionals and I think we can count on them to keep us informed of any dangers to our coastlines.

Q:Now, regarding the earthquake in Peru: Where was the epicenter?

Myers: The earthquake was centered just off the western coast of Peru, 25 miles west-northwest of Chincha Alta and 90 miles south-southeast of Lima, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The hypocenter, or focus point of the earthquake, was 19 miles below the Earth's surface. The epicenter is the point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus point.

Q: Why is the depth of the quake important?

Myers: Generally, the effect of the earthquake is less the farther you get away from the center. Therefore, earthquakes that are very deep, several hundred kilometers below the Earth's surface, are felt less on the Earth's surface. All the layers of rock and solid earth between deep earthquakes and the surface can act as a buffer zone and "cushion the blow" so to speak. Shallow earthquakes (within 70 km of the surface) normally result in much more violent shaking of the ground.

Q: And if it was at sea, why was there not a significant tsunami? And what is the relationship of earthquakes to tsunamis?

Myers: There was a tsunami triggered from the earthquake according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, but it was very small and caused no damage. Tsunamis can be triggered by many things, including landslides and mass earth movements underwater, most of which are caused by earthquakes. A tsunami is caused by rapid displacement of the water caused by the earthquake, which results in a wave crest and trough. The size of the tsunami depends on the amount of water displaced by the earthquake, which depends on precise details of the individual earthquake, such as depth, location, and type of earthquake triggering mechanism. A large earthquake that occurs underwater does not necessarily mean a destructive tsunami will result.