Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 28 views

    How Do Tornadoes Form

    Uploaded by

    Dman0
    Tornadoes form from thunderstorms when warm air rises and cold air sinks, causing the warm air to twist into a funnel-shaped spiral. For a tornado to form, there needs to be abundant low-level moisture and a trigger to lift the moist air. Within the thunderstorm updraft, rising air spins horizontally and then vertically, creating a rotating column of air between the cloud and ground that can exceed 250 mph.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    How Do Tornadoes Form

    Uploaded by

    Dman0
    28 views1 page
    Tornadoes form from thunderstorms when warm air rises and cold air sinks, causing the warm air to twist into a funnel-shaped spiral. For a tornado to form, there needs to be abundant low-level moisture and a trigger to lift the moist air. Within the thunderstorm updraft, rising air spins horizontally and then vertically, creating a rotating column of air between the cloud and ground that can exceed 250 mph.

    Copyright

    © Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)

    Available Formats

    DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Tornadoes form from thunderstorms when warm air rises and cold air sinks, causing the warm air to twist into a funnel-shaped spiral. For a tornado to form, there needs to be abundant low-level moisture and a trigger to lift the moist air. Within the thunderstorm updraft, rising air spins horizontally and then vertically, creating a rotating column of air between the cloud and ground that can exceed 250 mph.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    28 views1 page

    How Do Tornadoes Form

    Uploaded by

    Dman0
    Tornadoes form from thunderstorms when warm air rises and cold air sinks, causing the warm air to twist into a funnel-shaped spiral. For a tornado to form, there needs to be abundant low-level moisture and a trigger to lift the moist air. Within the thunderstorm updraft, rising air spins horizontally and then vertically, creating a rotating column of air between the cloud and ground that can exceed 250 mph.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 1

    How Do Tornadoes Form?

    A tornado is a violently column of air in contact with the earth and it extends between a cloud

    (often a thunderstorm cloud) and the surface of the earth. Winds in most tornadoes blow at 100

    mph or less, but in the most violent and least frequent tornadoes, wind speeds can exceed 250

    mph.

    Tornadoes a.k.a. twisters typically track along the ground for a few miles or for less than 100

    yards wide, although rare monsters can remain in contact with the earth for over 50 miles and

    exceeds one mile in width. Several things must take place for the tornadoes and the

    thunderstorms, which the tornadoes are most associated with, to be formed. Abundant low level

    moisture is necessary, and a “trigger is needed to lift the moist air loft.

    Before thunderstorms develop, a change in wind direction and an increase in wind speed with

    increasing height creates an invisible, horizontal spinning effect in the lower atmosphere. Rising

    air within the thunder storm updraft is the rotating air from horizontal to vertical.

    An area of rotation, 2-6 miles wide, now extends through much of the storm. Most strong and

    violent tornadoes form within this area of strong rotation.

    A lower cloud base in the center of the photograph identifies and area of rotation known as a

    rotating wall cloud. This area is often, nearly rain-free. Note the rain in the background of the

    picture. Moments later a strong tornado develops in this area. Softball-sized hail and damaging

    “straight line” winds also occurred with this storm.

    Tornadoes usually result form a very large thunderstorm. When cold air and warm air combines,

    the cold air decreases while the warm air rises. This warm air eventually twists into a spiral,

    forming a funnel cloud. As the sky turns a very dark green color, the tornado begins its path of

    destruction.

    You might also like