Tornadoes
The type of storm that most tornadoes are produces by
Supercell/ mesocyclone
Triboelectric charging involves creating electric potential by _______________________.
Rubbing objects together
The official name for a hurricane/ typhoon
Tropical Cyclone
Count seconds until you hear thunder, then divide by 5= number of miles.
When wind speed/direction is different at different altitudes. Can lead to tornado formation
Wind Shear
What are three main types of lightning in terms of the objects that the electricity moves between
Cloud-to-ground, cloud-to-cloud, and within one cloud
What causes hurricanes to spin?
Coriolis effect
What factor specifically causes the most hurricane-related deaths?
Freshwater flooding
What effect does the downdraft "stretching" and narrowing a funnel cloud have on the wind speed and why?
Speeds it up due to the conservation of angular momentum (like the figure skater)
What objects collide to create electrical potential in a thunderstorm?
Graupel and snow (ice crystals)
Why is the "eye" of a hurricane always calm and cloudless?
What are at least 2 ways climate change is likely to affect hurricanes in the future?
- More precipitation
- Greater wind speeds
- Intensify more quickly
- Move more slowly
- NOT necessarily more storms (not enough evidence to say that)
Why is there not an EF6 category for tornadoes?
Because it's based on the damage the tornadoes cause and an EF5 already essentially causes complete destruction of anything it hits.
What are two ways to stay safe from lightning that we discussed in class?
- Stay in enclosed vehicle like a car or in a sturdy structure during storms
- Clear skies don't mean you're safe, lighting can strike up to 10miles from storm cloud
- Don't be the tallest object around
What are at least two differences between a tropical storm and an extratropical storm?
- Tropical is "warm core", starts in the tropics, and is fueled by evaporation of warm ocean water
- Extratropical is "cold core", start outside of the tropics, and is fueled by different temp/humidity of air along fronts.
Why does lightning tend to strike the tallest object around?
Because air has a high electrical resistance, so it's an easier path to the ground
What combination of factors leads to Tornado Alley in the central US being the #1 global hotspot for tornadoes?
Warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico
Cold, dry air from north and west
A strong jet stream above
Flat topography
How do positive and negative charges become separated from each other in a lightning storm?
The snow (+) is lighter, so it rises, while the graupel (-) is heavier, so it drops.
If a hurricane starts off the coast of Northern Africa, describe or draw its likely path and identify at least two factors that will cause it to move in the way it does.
It will head west because of the trade winds.
It will then turn northward due to the Coriolis effect.
It will then be blown east as it moves into the mid-latitude westerlies and dissipates.
Why does the west coast of the US not experience as many hurricanes as the east coast?
The trade winds cause storms to move west, so hurricanes that develop in the Pacific are more likely to be pushed toward Asia/ Oceania