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Tornadoes and Hurricanes. CGF3M Tues. Dec. 10, 2013. Tornadoes . Also called a twister or cyclone A tornado is a powerful rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground, with updwards spiralling winds Occur most frequently in late spring/ early summer, between 3-9 pm.
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Tornadoes and Hurricanes CGF3M Tues. Dec. 10, 2013
Tornadoes • Also called a twister or cyclone • A tornado is a powerful rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground, with updwardsspiralling winds • Occur most frequently in late spring/ early summer, between 3-9 pm. • Found in Canada, Russia, China, Bangladesh, Argentina, Australia- but are most frequent in the US • More than 700 occur per year in the US
Tornado Alley • Warm, moist air from Gulf of Mexico moves north and collides with polar air moving south from the Arctic • Creates instability in the atmosphere, leading to supercells
How a Tornado Forms FLASH animation
Tornado Chasers • Storm chasers spend up to 12 hours / day in a vehicle tracking down storms to study • Some use specially-designed vehicles that can actually enter a tornado to collect data and video • Inside a tornado- incredible video! • Dangers of storm chasing- 3 dead aftertracking- video
Destruction from a Tornado • The Fujita Scale ranks tornadoes according to wind speed, duration, and path of destruction • The path can be erratic and may suddenly change direction • Damage can extend anywhere from 15-450 kms in length, and can be 2 metres- 2 km wide • Approx. 80 tornadoes occur each year in Canada, 2 deaths • Before and after pictures- Joplin, MI
Tornado Warning vs. Watch • Tornado watch- conditions are ripe for the development of a tornado… stay tuned. • Tornado warning- a funnel cloud has been spotted in the area. Take shelter!
Hurricanes • Also known as typhoons, tropical cyclones, and willy-willies • Originate over the warm ocean in areas close to the Equator • Intro- video • Read the article about recent Typhoon Haiyan, answer questions • Tomorrow: Guest speaker!