TORNADOES

Presentation by:
Naina Dwivedi Megha Shukla Parth Shridhar

TOPICS THAT ARE COVERED:

Introduction to tornadoes Causes Formation Types of tornadoes Intensity and Damage Tornado safety

INTRODUCTION TO TORNADOES

A Tornado!
Winds can exceed 300 mph!!! Around 1,000 occur on average each year in the U.S. Kill 80, injure 1,500 people each year on average Can have a path up to a mile wide!!! Can occur any time of the year, but peak during the spring (March-June) Occur most frequently in the central U.S. in a region nicknamed Tornado Alley

WHAT CAUSES TORNADOES?

 Tornadoes are produced when two differing air masses meet. When cooler polar air masses meet warm and moist tropical air masses, the potential for severe weather is created.

FORMATION OF TORNADOES

How Do They Form?

Actually, no one knows for sure! ButWe have a pretty good idea

Step 1
Before a t-storm, a change in wind direction and an increase in speed forms an invisible, horizontal spinning effect in the lower atmosphere (at the base of the storm)

Step 2
Rising air within the tstorm (updrafts) tilts the rotating air from horizontal to vertical

Step 3
Vertical rotation now extends 2-6 miles up into the t-storm. Now a tornado may form and extend from this area of rotation to the ground.

TYPES OF TORNADOES

MULTIPLE VORTEX
A tornado in which two or more condensation funnels or debris are present at same time, often rotating about a common centre or about each other.

LANDSPOUT
The other name of landspout tornado is dust-tube tornado. This type of tornado is of much lesser intensity as compared to a supercell tornado and they are of shorter duration

WATERSPOUTS
A waterspout is a type of tornado that forms over water. These tornadoes are usually weak, but can cause damage to boats and recreational vehicles. Sometimes, these tornadoes can move onto land causing other significant damage.

SUPERCELL TORNADOES
Most violent tornadoes develop from supercell thunderstorms The tornadoes that accompany supercell thunderstorms are likely to remain in contact with the ground for long periods of time.

DUST DEVILS
Dust devil results when the sun heats dry land surfaces forming a twisting column of air. The storms may look like a tornado, but are not. The storms are generally very weak and do not cause much damage.

GUSTNADO
These storms are not real tornadoes either, although they are associated with thunderstorms, unlike a dust devil. The clouds are not connected to the cloud base, meaning any rotation is classified as non-tornadic.

FIRE WHIRLS
Sometimes the intense heat created by a major forest fire or volcanic eruption can create what is known as a firewhirl, a tornado-like rotating column of smoke and/or fire. They are sometimes called fire tornadoes, fire devils, or even firenadoes

DETECTION
Most developed countires have a network of radars which helps in detecting tornadoes. These radars measure the velocity and radical direction of the winds in a storm.

INTENSITY AND DAMAGE

FUJITA SCALE

ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE

TORRO SCALE

1. FUJITA SCALE It rates the amount of destruction a tornado causes to buildings and other structures after the tornado has passed. 2. ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE It was an upgrade to the older Fujita scale. 3.TORRO SCALEIt ranges from t0 for extremely weak tornadoes to T11 for most powerful tornadoes.

FUJITA SCALE

TORNADO SAFETY

 Prepare for tornadoes by gathering emergency supplies including food, water, medications, batteries, flashlights, important documents, road maps, and a full tank of gasoline. When a tornado approaches, anyone in its path should take shelter indoorspreferably in a basement or an interior first-floor room or hallway. Avoid windows and seek additional protection by getting underneath large, solid pieces of furniture. Avoid automobiles and mobile homes, which provide almost no protection from tornadoes. Those caught outside should lie flat in a depression or on other low ground and wait for the storm to pass.

Quick Review
Are most tornados strong or weak? Which would cause more damage, an F1 or an F5 tornado? During which season do most tornados occur in the U.S.? What is the nickname of the region in the U.S. where many tornados occur? What is used to classify the intensity of tornados?

THE END