Katrina Wright

Meteorology 1010
ePortfolio Assignment


The Deadly Tornado

By definition, a tornado is a deadly rotating column of air extending from a
thunderstorm to the ground. Some violent tornadoes are capable of an extreme
amount of destruction. Winds can reach speeds of up to 300 mph, which often
results in items that are seemingly harmless to become deadly weapons. On
average, 1,000 tornadoes are reported nationwide annually.

So how does a tornado form? Most tornadoes start as supercell thunderstorms
from an intensely rotating updraft. The larger scale rotation inside the severe
thunderstorm is known as a mesocyclone.


Source: http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-
news/severe-weather/articles/tornado-how-form_2010-03-
30 (7/14/14)

For a tornado to develop, certain conditions must be present in the atmosphere
including:

Abundant low-level moisture
Atmospheric instability
A trigger
o Cold front
o Low-level zone of converging winds (lifts moisture)

Tornadoes require warm wet air and cool, dry air. When these masses of air
meet, instability in the atmosphere is created. With a change of wind direction
and increased wind speed with increasing height creates an invisible horizontal
spinning effect. The rising air tilts the rotating air from horizontal to vertical. The
area of rotation can range from 2-6 miles wide.


Source: http://www.tornadochaser.net/tornadoalley.jpg
(7/14/14)

Tornado Alley




Source: http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-tornado.htm (07/14/14)

In areas where conditions for tornadoes are favorable, air rises and becomes
saturated with moisture. As the air continues to rise, a thunderstorm cloud will
produce (if the atmosphere is unstable). Usually, this occurs when the air
temperature drops quickly as it rises, or when dry air overlays moist air near the
ground. Tornadoes will usually form in areas where winds are strong and rotating
clockwise.

Tornado phenomena can take several forms:

Supercell Tornadoes: A kind of thunderstorm that is characterized by a
rotating, long-lived, intense updraft of air


Source:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthp
icturegalleries/7715086/Spectacular-
pictures-of-tornadoes-supercells-and-
lightning-by-storm-chaser-Mike-
Hollingshead.html?image=3 (7/15/14)

Dust Devils: These harmless eddies are triggered by light desert breezes
that create a swirling plume of dust (also known as a dancing dervish,
desert devil, or sand devil)


Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_devil (7/16/14)

Firewhirls: Caused by intense heat caused from volcanic eruption or
large forest fires

Source: http://sleepless.blogs.com/george/2011/11/fun-facts-fire-whirls.html (7/16/14)

Gustnado: Forms along the gust front of a thunderstorm, appearing as a
temporary dust whirl or debris cloud


Source: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lbf/?n=gustnado (7/17/14)

Landspout: Weaker than a supercell tornado, it may be observed
beneath cumulonimbus or towering cumulus clouds and is the land
equivalent of a waterspout


Source: http://nonstopecho.com/different-types-of-tornado/ (7/17/14)

Waterspout: Usually less intense and causes far less damage, rarely
more than fifty yards wide


Source: http://nonstopecho.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Waterspout.jpg (7/17/14)


Resources

http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-tornado.htm
http://weather.about.com/od/tornadoe1/ss/fujita_6.htm
http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/severe-weather/articles/tornado-
how-form_2010-03-30
http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/tornadoes/
http://www.livescience.com/21498-tornado-facts.html