Complex sentence: The formation of Charley was disputed, but was traced to a tropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa on August 9; the system passed through the Leeward Islands and entered the Gulf of Mexico on August 15.
Split into simpler sentences: The formation of Charley was disputed, but was traced to a tropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa on August 9. The system passed through the Leeward Islands and entered the Gulf of Mexico on August 15.