TORNADOES

What causes a tornado?

Tornado’ comes in English from a Spanish word ‘tornada’ that means ‘thunderstorm’. As defined by Nation Weather Service, a tornado is a ‘violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and pendant from a thunderstorm’. Tornadoes result when there is stuffiest amount of moisture in the atmosphere at lower and mid levels, and when this condition gets combined with warm unstable air that rises above due to a lifting force. Initially, there should be some reason to cause air to flow upwards and to contribute in the formation of a tornado. This happens due to the fact that warm air is considerably lighter in weight than cold air (Earthbulletin). The buoyant air is produced as atmosphere gets heated near the ground surface. The heated air, which is warm and light, begins to rise upward and if during this phenomenon, a thrust of cool air is met, it further instigates the upward motion of air and could possibly trigger a thunderstorm. As the air of the area becomes unstable, it continues to rise once the rising motion is setoff – called the updraft. Given that all conditions are suitable, warm air rise high above cold air – that’s what takes place inside a thunderstorm and it’s usually a thunderstorm that gives rise to tornados. During a thunderstorm, the air (after rising) gets cooled and the humidity and moisture starts to condense, forming clouds. The speed with which air flows upward in an updraft can be more than 100 mph; due to such strong updraft force, the resultant clouds (containing hail – raindrops and ice balls) can attain a height of several thousand feet above the ground level.

Tornadoes are formed because of this rapid (high-speed) rise of air. When cold or dry air comes in contact with warm, humid air inside a thunderstorm; the strong wind currents create an invisible spinning effect that is horizontal in direction. The spinning radius is greater at heights and narrower at the end near to the ground – this motion ultimately creates a huge funnel like tornado of rotating air that moves at great speeds. Area of rotation can be anywhere between 2 to six 6 miles. Updraft continues to pull the moist air upwards and tornado rises above. As the pressure at the center of tornado funnel is lower than the surroundings, the winds start to flow-in with enormous speeds from all around this giant rotating column of air. This is the reason why a tornado damages areas hundreds of meters way from its actual vortex. The winds bring dust, dirt and debris into the tornado and the funnel gets darker in color. At the edges of updraft, tornadoes are strongest and they shed hail from around from the downdraft (created by the air that comes down from thunderstorm carrying with itself rain and balls of snow). That’s how heavy rain or a hail shower often occurs just before a tornado hits.

The terrain of U.S. makes it very susceptible to formation of deadly tornadoes. Tornadoes are most common in the areas that occupy large flat and dry regions. Tornado Alley is the name given to the region of U.S. that is more vulnerable than other to tornadoes attacks – Northern Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska (Central United States). In the U.S., a low-level-jet (3000 to 5000 feet from the ground) blowing humid and warm air from the south when faced by advancing column of cool air, assist creation of fierce thunderstorms that often give rise to tornadoes. Some thunderstorms get more violent because of the dry wind blowing at 10000 feet above the ground level from the southwest. One of the most dangerous forms of thunderstorms called supercells are aided by jet-streams at 25000 feet above ground level, these jet-streams help the warm air to rise and contribute into formation of tornadoes.

In the early spring, these climatic conditions are responsible of creating tornadoes in the south of U.S. As the spring passes, tornadoes become more likely in the northern parts of U.S. – the Plains and the Midwest. In the months of April and May, tornadoes strike both the south and the Plains. In this season, tornadoes condition can last up to several days due to large system of storms (Usatoday). Presence of ‘dryline’ in the Central Plains which separates eastern warm, moist air from the western hot, dry air is responsible for developing thunderstorms. As the dryline shifts to the east during afternoons, the result comes out as thunderstorms which give the plays a major part in formation of tornadoes. Mesocyclone (rotating air column) is produced when the air going upwards from the Gulf of Mexico comes across winds that tends to turn it (rising air), and causes change in its direction and speed. As humid air from the Gulf of Mexico flows north, crossing the Midwest and Great Plains, it is met by the westerly jet stream and southwesterly stream – all winds create enormous force as they come from varied attitudes and speeds. These forces air from the Mexico Gulf to rotate and conditions for a tornado becomes ripe (earthbulletin). In the regions of High Plains in the south and along Rocky Mountains, tornadoes are produced when air in the lower terrain rise towards higher terrain (f-5stormshelters).

Warning people about tornadoes

Because of the great damage a tornado is capable of inflicting, several warning measure have been taken in the U.S. To early-warn residents about any coming disaster. A tornado moving with speeds exceeding 250 mph is capable of wreaking havoc in areas 50 miles long and over 1 mile wide and at times, they hit an area just before a tropical storm or a hurricane strikes (f-5stormshelters).

In Missouri, Kansas City, forecasters at Storm Prediction Center work round the clock to keep people informed about thunderstorms and tornadoes that are imminent. Making use of satellite data, reports from radars, weather charts and a variety of other weather reporting tools, the department issues ‘watches’ and ‘warnings’ – a watch is issued when weather conditions are such that a severe weather condition could develop or a tornado is likely to hit a particular area and a warning is issued when a tornado is very imminent or actually confirmed – the other details then follow. National Weather Service (NWS) uses intelligence on the ground to exactly pinpoint the location of a looming tornado – the one which was predicted in the ‘watch’. This intelligence on the ground comprises people called spotters. Dispersed to cover large areas, they serve as the primary source of information for the NWS. Spotters utilize information transmission network called Skywarm to relay the information to NWS and they have done a great job reporting a large number of tornadoes in the U.S. Once a tornado is spotted, state police and civil defense are the first organizations to get mobilized in response and they get ready to meet the challenge. General public are notified as soon as possible through direct links that are exists between major media offices and the NWS – the aim of these links is to make sure that the information reaches the public without wasting any time (Scholastic). Along with the spotters, Doppler radars are now being used to detect tornadoes. NWS has started to deploy these radars across the U.S., which are able to detect movement of air in the direction towards or away from the point of their placement (nws.noaa).

Staying informed on the latest about tornadoes is very important for the general public. Channels that are available to them to get up-to-date information about weather changes include NOAA (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration) weather radios, normal (commercial) radios, and television channels that air weather news nearly each hour. Communities often have local emergency management agencies, these agencies along with the public safety officials are also informed about the warnings so that they can take steps immediately to prevent damage to local population and if possible, activate any local warning system that is in place. This particularly helps locals who, for some reasons, missed out warnings broadcasted over the mass media. The most efficient and reliable source of tornado warnings is the NOAA radio that is obtainable in local stores. NOAA woks as a part of Department of Commerce and its NWR (NOAA Weather Radio) is public service network that covers the entire nation (all 50 states) with its more than 800 transmitters located at strategic positions including coastal areas, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and U.S. Pacific Territories. Information is transmitted (radio broadcast) to individual radios by National Weather Service Offices which are all connected to the NWR network. The radios have ranges of up to 40 miles (varying according to geographical and countryside conditions) and come with battery backup and an alert feature that plays a tone as soon as a watch or warning is relayed (nws.noaa).

Public are not only warned, but also told what to do in case of an emergency encounter with a tornado. NWS tells people to watch the sky for color changes after a warning is issued. If they feel that it’s getting dark (or greenish), this indicates that tornado is about to hit the area. People are advised to go to basements, lowest possible floors, near hallways and far from things that can fly off due to strong winds. Other warnings of an approaching tornado include sighting of wall clouds, large hail or a loud noise that resembles roar of a freight train.

Tornado warning also includes educating people about its movement and the ways it could possibly damage property and lives. Tornadoes are known to move in any direction but the predictable direction of their motion is thought to be from southwest to northeast. A high percentage of damage by tornadoes results from debris that flies off with the fast moving wind. People on the ground can some times spot a tornado themselves but some tornadoes remain hidden behind walls of clouds or rain.

Tornado frequency in certain years

Research and data has shown that in some years, number of tornadoes is considerably higher than the others. The year 1998 had largest number of tornadoes (1440) in recent times. Other big years that had 1400+ tornadoes were 1973 and 1954. 1992 had 1385 occurrences of tornadoes. Lower number of tornadoes were recorded in 1987 (811 tornadoes), 1988 (850), 1985 (877), and 1986 (949). To see the reasons in perspective, scientists have suggested some correlation of tornadoes with global weather phenomena, like global warming, El Nino and La Nina cycles.

During a La Nina season, ocean temperatures decrease in Equatorial and Tropical Pacific, this leaves northwest of the U.S. cold and southwest warm. La Nina occurs every 6 or 7 years affecting weather scene around the globe (earthbulletin). A La Nina year also brings noteworthy changes in the U.S. climate – including frequency of tornadoes, as the weather gets generally harsh. This is mainly due to the reasons that air masses in the north and south go to their extreme temperatures. These temperature differences when clash with each other, tornadoes occur. In areas stretching from the northern Plains to the Great Lakes, air becomes cooler in spring time, whereas in the southeast, air remains significantly warmer. 1998 and 1999 were La Nina years, and showed increased tornado activity. 1998 saw over 1400 tornadoes – a record (impactforecasting). The deadliest tornado of that year was an F5 tornado that left 32 people dead. 1999 saw more than 1300 tornadoes with wind speeds reaching as high as 318 mph.

Creation of supercell thunderstorm in La Nina years also plays a part in creation of tornadoes. Subtropical jets from the southwest blows deep inside the north which doesn’t happen in the non-La Nina years. This brings in warm, humid air to a greater distance further into the northern U.S. causing supercell thunderstorm that develops a number of tornadoes in the central region of the U.S. This supercell thunderstorm is not anything like a usual thunderstorm – it has got greater endurance. Both, normal and supercell thunderstorm starts with updrafts – rising action of the air. As the moist air cools down and condenses, it creates rain. And it’s this rain which when comes down, causes a downdraft. A normal storm crumples up with the falling hail but a supercell would tilt – one side continues to lift up the air (updraft) and the other side continues to drop down the rain (downdraft). These stronger supercells then create tornadoes. As supercells are associated with a particular weather season that occurs in certain years, tornadoes too, are believed to be generated more in numbers in these years.

Researchers are still trying to come up with ways and means to correctly predict years during which tornadoes are highly likely – and study of La Nina is helping them in the cause. If a firm relation is established between the two, weather department and general public would find itself in a better position to address perils of tornadoes (impactforecasting).

Bibliography http://www.f-5stormshelters.com/faqs.htm basic guide to what causes tornadoes http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wtwist2.htm

The American Museum of Natural History – EarthBulletin – Storms – Where Do Tornadoes Form? http://earthbulletin.amnh.org/C/4/2/index.html

Tornadoes Fact Sheet http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/torn.htm http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/brochures/tornado.htm

Weather Watch: Tornadoes http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/wwatch/tornado/emergency/warning.htm

Severe Weather Pattern Shifts In The United States. Aon Corporation. www.impactforecasting.com

Get Professional Assignment Help Cheaply

Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?

Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.

Why Choose Our Academic Writing Service?

• Plagiarism free papers
• Timely delivery
• Any deadline
• Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
• Subject-relevant academic writer
• Adherence to paper instructions
• Ability to tackle bulk assignments
• Reasonable prices
• 24/7 Customer Support
• Get superb grades consistently

Online Academic Help With Different Subjects

Literature

Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.

Finance

Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.

Computer science

Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!

Psychology

While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.

Engineering

Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.

Nursing

In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.

Sociology

Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.

Business

We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!

Statistics

We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.

Law

Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.

What discipline/subjects do you deal in?

We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.

Are your writers competent enough to handle my paper?

Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.

What if I don’t like the paper?

There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.

Reasons being:

• When assigning your order, we match the paper’s discipline with the writer’s field/specialization. Since all our writers are graduates, we match the paper’s subject with the field the writer studied. For instance, if it’s a nursing paper, only a nursing graduate and writer will handle it. Furthermore, all our writers have academic writing experience and top-notch research skills.
• We have a quality assurance that reviews the paper before it gets to you. As such, we ensure that you get a paper that meets the required standard and will most definitely make the grade.

In the event that you don’t like your paper:

• The writer will revise the paper up to your pleasing. You have unlimited revisions. You simply need to highlight what specifically you don’t like about the paper, and the writer will make the amendments. The paper will be revised until you are satisfied. Revisions are free of charge
• We will have a different writer write the paper from scratch.
• Last resort, if the above does not work, we will refund your money.

Will the professor find out I didn’t write the paper myself?

Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.

What if the paper is plagiarized?

We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.

When will I get my paper?

You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.

Will anyone find out that I used your services?

We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.

How our Assignment  Help Service Works

1.      Place an order

You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.

2.      Pay for the order

Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.

3.      Track the progress

You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.

4.      Download the paper

The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.

PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET A PERFECT SCORE!!!