how is a thunderstorm caused?

Question

i heard it is caused by humidity then i heard it was caused by the mixing of different temperatures of air...cold front and warm front mixing....so how is it truly caused?

Answer 1

Angels bowling

Answer 2

There are several mechanisms that can cause a thunderstorm. On warm, humid days, the heating can cause an rapid building of a cloud. As the air rises, air rushes into towards the cloud. This instability can lead to further development. Most storms formed this way are isolated storms or storm clusters. In the tropics, over the ocean, these storms can coalese into a wave, develop a circulation, and develop further, even to a hurricane.

On a cold front, cold air wedges under warmer and more humid air. Again, this leads to development of clouds that become thunderstorms. However, since this occurs for a long distance, rather than random storms developing as above, a line of storms develops.

Answer 3

A thunderstorm is created by warm air rises (this is called an updraft) and condenses into a cumulus cloud. As more warm air collects the cumulus cloud will continue to grow. Soon the water droplets forming in the cloud will become too heavy for the rising air to hold. While this is happening cold air, which is heavier than warm air, starts entering the cloud. The cold air starts to lower beneath the warm (this is called a down draft), pulling the heavy water downwards, resulting in rain. The storm at this point has become a cumulonimbus cloud. Once lightning and thunder starts to occur, it becomes a thunderstorm.

Answer 4

Thunderstorms form when an air mass becomes so unstable that it overturns (convects) violently. "Unstable" means that the air in the lowest layers is unusually warm and humid, or that the upper layers are unusually cool, or oftentimes, both. Rising near-surface air in an unstable air mass expands and cools, and finds itself still warmer than it's environment, which causes it to rise even farther. If enough water vapor is present, some of this vapor condenses into a cloud, releasing heat, which makes the air parcel even warmer, forcing it to rise yet again. In thunderstorms, this process continues to feed on water vapor in the lower atmosphere, pumping air warmed by condensation as high as 40,000 to 60,000 feet (8 to 12 miles). Thunderstorms are more common in the afternoon over land, when daytime heating of the land by the sun causes the lower part of the troposphere to become unstable. Or, some thunderstorms can form from the upper atmosphere becoming unusually cool, due to the approach of an upper air disturbance. In this case storms can form at any time of day, even when there hasn't been daytime heating of the land. One absolute requirement, however, is there has to be sufficient water vapor to feed the storm. This is the fuel for the thunderstorm. As the storm uses up this fuel, it is converted to rainfall. Eventually, the storm stabilizes the atmosphere, through using up the excess water vapor, cooling the lower troposphere, and warming the upper troposphere.

Answer 5

Thunderstorms develop from cumulonimbus clouds that are characterized by lightning discharges.The base of the cumulonimbus cloud shoud be at a level lower than zero degree isotherm and the cloud top should be at a temperature less than --20(minus twenty) degree celcius.An adequate supply of moisture and a lapse rate(change of temperature with height) of temperature more than the saturated adiabatic rate through a range of height, not less than 3000 meters above the cloud base are required for the development of the thunder storm.High surface temperature also helps in its formation though it is not always an essential condition.An initial 'trigger' action is also required which is usually provided by a horizontal convergenge of air or by an orographic lift.The horizontal convergence of air may be got from a trough of low pressure, a col region or a shallow depression.The penetration of sea breeze inside the land area may also provide the necessry impulse.
Thunder and lightning occur as large accumulations of liquid and solid water(ice particles) are carried to heights where the temperature is well below --20(minus twenty) degrees celcius.Thunderstorms often occur in distinct patterns, and one speaks of airmass thunderstorms,line thunderstorms and frontal thunderstorms.

Answer 6

THOR!

Or

Thunderstorms form when significant condensation - resulting in the production of a wide range of water droplets and ice crystals - occurs in an atmosphere that is unstable and supports deep, rapid upward motion. This often occurs in the presence of three conditions: sufficient moisture accumulated in the lower atmosphere, reflected by high temperatures; a significant fall in air temperature with increasing height, known as a steep adiabatic lapse rate; and a force such as mechanical convergence along a cold front to focus the lift. The process to initiate vertical lifting can be caused by:

1. unequal warming of the surface of the Earth
2. orographic lifting due to topographic obstruction of air flow, and
3. dynamic lifting because of the presence of a frontal zone.

As the air begins to lift, it eventually starts to cool and condensation takes place. When the moisture condenses, heat is released which further aids in the lifting process. If enough instability is present in the atmosphere, this process will continue long enough for cumulonimbus clouds to form, which supports lightning and thunder.