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=Tornadoes =

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Alex Quintero Daisy Morales

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=== Definition: === A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air extending from the base of a thunderstorm that comes in contact with the ground.


 * [[image:http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/003/cache/slender-tornado_378_600x450.jpg]] ||


 * [[image:http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/004/cache/texas-mothership-tornado_403_600x450.jpg]] ||


 * The biggest tornado ever recorded in history:**
 * The biggest tornado ever recorded was the Tri-State Tornado. This devastating column of air took place through parts of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana on the day of March 18, 1925. It is projected to have been a F5. We can't confirm this though because tornados were not ranked during that period of time. It had a path length of 219 miles(352 km), a duration of about 3.5 hours, and a record speed of 73 mph(117 km/h). It is also recorded to have taken the lives of 650 individuals. **

Although tornadoes occur in many parts of the world, they are found most frequently in the United States.....
 * A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground.
 * Tornadoes cause an average of 70 fatalities and 1,500 injuries in the U.S. each year..
 * The strongest tornadoes have rotating winds of more than 250 mph.
 * Tornadoes can be one mile wide and stay on the ground over 50 miles.
 * Tornadoes may appear nearly transparent until dust and debris are picked up or a cloud forms within the funnel. The average tornado moves from southwest to northeast, but tornadoes have been known to move in any direction.
 * The average forward speed is 30 mph but may vary from nearly stationary to 70 mph.
 * Waterspouts are tornadoes which form over warm water. They can move onshore and cause damage to coastal areas

== <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">How do they form? ==


 * [[image:daisym89:1.gif]] ||

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.


 * [[image:daisym89:2.gif]] ||

Rising air within the thunderstorm updraft tilts the rotating air from horizontal to vertical.


 * [[image:daisym89:3.gif]] ||

An area of rotation, 2-6 miles wide, now extends through much of the storm. Most strong and violent tornadoes form within this area of strong rotation.

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==<span style="font-size: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**<span style="font-size: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Anatomy of a Tornado ** == <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1. Warm, moist air at the surface rises rapidly, creating an updraft. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 2. Falling rain evaporates, cooling the air around it. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 3. The wall cloud rotates as it's hit with winds from opposite directions. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 4. As the rotation intensifies, a visible funnel drops out of the clouds. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 5. A prominent overshooting top forms when the updraft is very strong. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 6. Powerful updrafts give hail time to form. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 7. A dust shroud is kicked up by the tornado's strong winds at ground level. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 8. Central downdrafts appear in some tornadoes.


 * [[image:http://media.rd.com/rd/images/rdc/mag0905/quick-study-tornado-02-af.jpg]] ||

==<span style="font-size: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Fujita Tornado Damage Scale ==

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**F0**: Light Damage (<73 mph); Some damage to chimneys; branches broken off trees; shallow-rooted trees pushed over; sign boards damaged. (1-10 min)

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> **F1**: Moderate Damage (73-112 mph); Peels surface off roofs; mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned; moving autos blown off road. (1-10 min)

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> **F2**: Considerable Damage (113-157 mph); Roofs torn off frame houses; mobile homes demolished; boxcars overturned; large trees snapped or uprooted; light-object missiles generated; cars lifted off ground. (20+ min)

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> **F3**: Severe Damage (158- 206 mph); Roofs and some walls torn off well-constructed houses, trains overturned; most trees in forest uprooted; heavy cars lifted off ground and thrown. (20+ min)

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> **F4**: Devastating Damage (207- 260 mph); Well-constructed houses leveled; structure with weak foundations blown off some distance; cars thrown and large missiles generated. (60+ min)

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> **F5**: Incredible Damage (261- 318 mph); Strong frame houses lifted off foundations and swept away; automobile sized missiles fly through the air in excess of 100 meters (109 yds); trees debarked; incredible phenomena will occur. (60+ min)


 * [[image:http://www.readyforanythingnow.com/disaster%20survival%20guide%20articles/Images/Frequency%20Map.jpg height="499"]] ||

-Anderson, Bruce. Strahler, Alan. (2008) Visualizing Weather and Climate. John Wiley & Sons. Inc. United States of America. -<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; padding-right: 10px;">[] -<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; padding-right: 10px;">[] -<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; padding-right: 10px;">[] -<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; padding-right: 10px;">[] -<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; padding-right: 10px;">[]
 * References**