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For centuries, tornadoes have been a destructive force of nature that possesses the power to destroy cities and take people’s lives. Recently, a new epidemic of tornadoes has been ravaging America which draws the question, is global warming to blame? With up to 300 mile per hour winds and damage paths can go up to one mile wide and 50 miles long, they truly are Mother Nature’s weapon of mass destruction.
Tornadoes are formed typically during a front of stormy weather known as a supercell, although not always. It begins with cold air and warm air that collide. This causes the cold air to drop and the warm air to rise and spin into a funnel. However, before the funnel can develop, a series of steps must occur leading up to the storm. First, a change in wind direction and an increase in wind speed must occur which will happen with an increasing altitude. This creates an effect of invisible horizontal spinning which occurs in the lower atmosphere. Next, rising air in the thunderstorm tilts the rotating air from horizontal to vertical. Then, the 2-6 mile wide area of rotation must be kept within the majority of the storm. The final step is for a low cloud base containing no rain to form a funnel cloud, creating the tornado. Tornadoes follow a very specific and definite life cycle.
Global warming has been a continuous problem that has escalated over time on our planet Earth. The main cause of global warming is because Carbon dioxide and other warming pollutants are gathering in the atmosphere and laying over it like a thick sheet as well as its effect on the ozone layer. This is trapping the sun's heat and causing the planet to grow increasingly warmer as well as a variety of other weather shifts. Over the past 50 years, Earth’s tem...
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...cle half of your household waste, you can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. (Larry West, 2014) By just setting your thermostat at just 2 degrees lower in winter and 2 degrees higher in summer, you could save around 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year. By having every family in America switch out one regular light bulb with a CFL, it would eliminate 90 billion lbs. of greenhouse gases which is equivalent to taking 7.5 million cars off the road. For every gallon of gas you save while driving, you stop 20lbs of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Choosing to bike or walk will not only save your wallet and the environment, but will also benefit personal health and fitness. If each individual changes at least one aspect of their lives, together we can work to end climate change and these dangerous storm cells and stop the increase in climate change.
Although the tornado of 10 June 1938 has been known about, at least anecdotally, within the scientific community since it was brought to light in 1939 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, this potentially rich source of historic information has lain fallow. It is within this rich field of mobile, American thinking that we undertake this effort. A team of scientists with courage, brains, and even heart brought the resources to bear on the challenge.
On May 22nd, 2011 a massive tornado hit Joplin, Missouri killing 162 people and injuring 1150. With wind speeds of 322km/h, the tornado made a total cost of over $2 billion for the city. 8000 structures were destroyed, 2000 of which were homes. Many people were left homeless. The tornado held an incredible EF5 rating on the Fujita scale, measured from the amount of destruction. The tragic event lasted 38 minutes, from 5:34 pm to 6:12pm. Cool wind from the Rockies in Canada and warm wind from the gulf of Mexico formed into a supercell thunderstorm creating a tornado in Kansas. The tornado rapidly moved into Joplin and continued on its 35 km path.
In addition to lowering greenhouse gas levels and using cleaner energy sources, there are things we can do as people to stop climate change. We could reduce our use of electricity at our homes by turning off the lights when we leave the room, turning down/up the heating/ac when it is unnecessary, and using less water. Also, we could install solar panels in our homes and donate money to environmental protection agencies. Hopefully, the people of our world will soon realize climate change is a pressing issue that must be solved as soon as
Many scientists often find themselves wondering if the tri-state tornado was really a single massive tornado or if it was part of a family of tornadoes that continuously evolve from one supercell to another. Only one factor stands in the way of this theory and that is a cyclical supercell usually has breaks in its destructive path. The tri-state tornado's path of damage appeared to be continuous despite two slight decreases in the destruction. One of which was near the onset of the storm, and one near the demise. No matter which is believed, one thing is for certain, and that is a storm like the tri-state tornado could very well happen again, but there is no telling when or where it may occur.
According to Webster’s Dictionary, a tornado is a rotating column of air accompanied by a funnel shaped downward extension of a cumulonimbus cloud and having a vortex several hundred yards in diameter whirling destructively at speeds of up to three hundred miles per hour. There are six classifications of tornadoes, which are measured on what is known as the Fujita Scale. These tornadoes range from an F0 to an F5, which is the most devastating of all. Abnormal warm, humid, and oppressive weather usually precede the formation of a tornado. Records of American tornadoes date back to 1804 and have been known to occur in every state of the United States.
Tornadoes form from wind shears. Wind shears form from warm air that is found at ground level; when it’s raised, the updraft meets a down draft of cooler air that is moved in the opposite direction of the warm air. When both are pushed towards the Earth, this creates wind shear. A spinning tube of air, created from wind shear; tilts upward into a vertical position, as the updraft sucks up moisture from the ground and into the sky. As the warm air cools high in the sky; this produces condensation. The condensation then produces thunderclouds, which rise to 30,000+ feet. The spinning formations of air are then trapped and lifted into the thundercloud. This begins as swirling motion and as continued (if the winds remained viable), a supercell will form. Mesocyclones as they are known are a rotating cloud. If these rotating clouds run into humid air it will spi...
I would like to start out by what we know about tornados and outbreaks, and what is said to be the cause of such catastrophic events, such as the outbreak that occurred November 17th in the Midwestern, portion of the United States. Tornado outbreaks occur when there are multiple tornados that are said to be produced by the same weather system. The classification of an outbreak can vary depending on interpretation. It is said that in order to be classified as a “tornado outbreak” there must be a certain number of tornados that touch down. It is said that the US has the most tornados of any country. This can be attributed the location with in the mid latitude. The Rocky Mountains, have the ability to block moisture and “buckle” the atmospheric flow; thus forcing a lot of dry air at mid-levels of the troposphere, due to downslope winds. While the Rockies are forming a “dry-line” the Gulf of Mexico on the other hand contributes a lot of low level moisture. This mixture of warm air and cold air is to blame for the large number of tornados that form in the US. These events are most prevalent in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States, along with the Great Plains also known as (tornado alley) although some of these systems have been known to move as far North as Canada. The tornado outbreak that took place on the 17th of November is said to have been the one of the largest outbreaks to have occurred in eight years. This particular storm spawned a total of 72 tornados that swept through seven states, according to the National Weather Service. This outbreak is being considered the fourth largest outbreak of its kind, especially this time of year.
A tornado occurs in very powerful thunderstorms, and usually it occurs in a super cell. A super cell is a type of storm that already has rotation inside of it, called a mesocycle. A tornado begins to form when a downdraft of air pulls the mesocycle down towards the ground. A funnel begins to form, and when the funnel cloud finally touches down, it officially becomes a tornado. As warm, moist air (the fuel of a tornado) is drawn into the tornado, it matures...
Imagine driving home from a long day at work and all of a sudden, the beautiful blue sky with fluffy cotton candy looking white clouds and a bright yellow sun. Disappear. Then the sky starts to turn grey, the clouds start to spread all over the sky and then, lower to the ground. The speed of the wind begins to pick up, not only does that make things more horrifying but also then you realize you’re in the face of a tornado. However, the terror you would have felt is nothing compared to what the people in Dautapur-Saturia felt when the worst tornado hit on, April 26, 1989. Tornados can be deadly, costly, and horrifying.
A tornado requires some basic ingredients to come together. First, energy in the form of warm, moist air must exist to feed thunder storms. Second, there must be a top layer of hot, dry air called a cap. This air acts like a lid on a simmering pot, holding in the warm air that’s accumulating in the atmosphere below until the storm’s ready to burst. Last, there has to be rotating winds speeding in oppositedirections at two different levels in the atmosphere, a phenomenon called wind shear, can cause the storms to rotate. Tornado alley is perfectly situated to meet these requirements. (1)
Tornadoes are one of the deadliest and most unpredictable villains mankind will ever face. There is no rhyme or reason, no rhythm to it’s madness. Tornados are one of the most terrifying natural events that occur, destroying homes and ending lives every year. April 29th, 1995, a calm, muggy, spring night I may never forget. Jason, a buddy I grew up with, just agreed to travel across state with me so we could visit a friend in Lubbock. Jason and I were admiring the beautiful blue bonnets, which traveled for miles like little blue birds flying close to the ground. The warm breeze brushed across the tips of the blue bonnets and allowed them to dance under the perfectly clear blue sky. In the distance, however, we could see darkness. A rumbling sky was quickly approaching.
III. Recycling and composting currently prevent 86.6 million tons of material from being disposed of. This prevented the release of approximately 168 million metric tons of CO2 into the air. This is equivalent to taking 33 million cars off the road for a year.
Hurricanes originate as tropical disturbances over warm oceans with trade winds. The tropical turbances intensify into tropical depressions, and eventually into a tropical storm. They only originate in the tropical trade winds because the ocean temperatures are quite warm there. Powered from the heat that the sea gives off, they are steered by the east trade winds and the temperate west ones, as well as by their own ferocious energy. Around their core, winds grow with a tremendous amount of velocity creating violent seas. As they move toward the shore, they move the ocean inward, while spawning tornadoes and producing torrential rains and floods.
People can also reduce the use of fossil fuels by doing simple things for instance switching off lights and appliances when leaving the room. Walking or cycling instead of driving a car or use public transport for maybe longer journeys. Little things like this will make a big difference, making our planet a better place.
Most tornadoes evolve from energy. Tornadoes come from the energy released in a thunderstorm. As powerful as they are, tornadoes account for only a tiny fraction of the energy in a thunderstorm. What makes them dangerous is that their energy is concentrated in a small area, perhaps only a hundred yards across. Not all tornadoes are the same, of course, and science does not yet completely understand how part of a thunderstorm's energy sometimes gets focused into something as small as a tornad...