How do tornados form?

Answer 1

A tornado is a violently rotating (usually counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere) column of air descending from a thunderstorm and in contact with the ground. Although tornadoes are usually brief, lasting only a few minutes, they can sometimes last for more than an hour and travel several miles causing considerable damage.

In a typical year about 1000 tornadoes will strike the United States. The peak of the tornado season is April through June and more tornadoes strike the central United States than any other place in the world. This area has been nicknamed "tornado alley."

Most tornadoes are spawned from supercell thunderstorms. Supercell thunderstorms are characterized by a persistent rotating updraft and form in environments of strong vertical wind shear. Wind shear is the change in wind speed and/or direction with height.

The updraft lifts the rotating column of air created by the speed shear. This provides two different rotations to the supercell; cyclonic or counter clockwise rotation and an anti-cyclonic of clockwise rotation. The directional shear amplifies the cyclonic rotation and diminishes the anti-cyclonic rotation. All that remains is the cyclonic rotation called a mesocyclone. By definition a supercell is a rotating thunderstorm.

When viewed from the top, the counter-clockwise rotation of the mesocyclone gives the supercell its classic "hook" appearence when seen by radar. As the air rises in the storm, it becomes stretched and more narrow with time.

The colors indicate the intensity of the rain with green representing light rain, the yellow and orange for moderate rain and reds for the heaviest rain and hail. The classic "hook" pattern of the supercell from which a tornado was observed can be clearly seen.

The exact processes for the formation of a funnel are not known yet. Recent theories suggest that once a mesocyclone is underway, tornado development is related to the temperature differences across the edge of downdraft air wrapping around the mesocyclone. However, mathematical modelling studies of tornado formation also indicate that it can happen without such temperature patterns; and in fact, very little temperature variation was observed near some of the most destructive tornadoes in history on May 3, 1999 in Oklahoma.

The funnel cloud of a tornado consists of moist air. As the funnel descends the water vapor within it condenses into liquid droplets. The liquid droplets are identical to cloud droplets yet are not considered part of the cloud since they form within the funnel. The descending funnel is made visible because of the water droplets. The funnel takes on the color of the cloud droplets, which is white. Due to the air movement, dust and debris on the ground will begin rotating, often becoming several feet high and hundreds of yards wide.

After the funnel touches the ground and becomes a tornado, the color of the funnel will change. The color often depends upon the type of dirt and debris is moves over (red dirt produces a red tornado, black dirt a black tornado, etc.). At the center of the tornado, the vortex is open and the air is clear, not too unlike a hurricane.

Answer 2

A Tornado forms inside a Cumulonimbus Cloud. Tornadoes form when Warm Moist Air Meets Cold Dry Air creating instability. Wind Shear is when different Wind Speeds at different levels in the Atmosphere meet and create a Horizontal Invisible Spinning tube called a Mesocyclone. If the Updraft catches the Mesocyclone it turns into a Vertical Spinning Tube. This can create a Wall Cloud which is a Rain-Free lowered cloud from a Cumulonimbus Cloud. The Vertical Spinning Tube now Spins tighter and increases in spinning speed and eventually will drop a Funnel Cloud then a Tornado (A Tornado is when a Funnel Cloud reaches the ground) from the WALL CLOUD located inside the Cumulonimbus Cloud. The more Instability the Stronger the Tornado is on the Enhanched Fujita Scale rated by the damage it causes.

Answer 3

A number of things have to be just right to form a tornado. First is a a change in wind direction and increase in wind speed with increasing height creates a horizontal spinning effect in the lower atmosphere. Then rising air in the thunderstorm updraft tilts the rotating air from horizontal to vertical. That then produces a rotation in the thunderstorm and thus a tornado forms in the updraft part of the storm. Things have to be just right for this to happen though you have to have enough instability in the atmosphere and rotating air in the atmosphere for tornadoes to form and actually even then sometimes with the right conditions tornadoes still may not form but, that is what it takes for tornadoes to form.

Answer 4

A tornado forms from the twisting of rising air. The troposphere needs to have instability for a thunderstorm and a tornado to occur. Instability release produces the updraft of a thunderstorm. The closer the base of the updraft (known as Level of Free Convection) is to the surface then the better it is for tornadoes. The base of the updraft will tend to be closer to the surface when the dewpoints and relative humidity in the lower troposphere are higher.

Answer 5

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 thunderstorm updraft tilts the rotating air from horizontal to vertical.
A lower cloud base in the center is an area of rotation known as a rotating wall cloud. This area is often nearly rain-free.
Moments later a strong tornado develops in this area.

Answer 6

When cold air from the north and warm air from the south converge into a single area the turbulence from the two often cause rain or thunder storms but if the two are moving fast enough or if the temperature in you area clashes with the fronts it causes a swirling effect which comes down as a funnel cloud and if it can stabilize its self than it becomes an F1 tornado.

Answer 7

Cold Front + Warn Front = Tornado

Answer 8

cold front meeting with a warm front and the winds from 2 diff. directions cause the funnel

Answer 9

u plant the seed and god sent the rain and sunshine a it grow
it a fruit like a orange or apple many other we grow lot them in ohio ky ind many other state it like a egg the seed in it grow tomaio