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Objective 03/05/2012. Describe the formation of thunderstorms and lightning. Intro. What are your chances of getting struck by lightning 7 times in your life? 1 in 16,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (16 septillion). Thunderstorms. Thunderstorms. Thunderstorm.
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Objective 03/05/2012 Describe the formation of thunderstorms and lightning. Intro What are your chances of getting struck by lightning 7 times in your life? 1 in 16,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (16 septillion)
Thunderstorms • Thunderstorm • Brief, heavy storm consisting of: • Rain • Strong winds • Lightning • Thunder
Thunderstorms • Where do they form? • Usually along cold fronts
Thunderstorms • Formation • Warm moist air rises, sometimes forcefully when it’s pushed by an incoming cold air mass • As water vapor condenses, it releases energy which fuels the storm
Thunderstorms • Formation (cont.) 3. The cyclic movement of warm air rising (updrafts) and cool air sinking (downdrafts) maintain the storms energy 4. Eventually, storm runs out of energy and dissipates
Thunderstorms • Severe Thunderstorms • Can produce one or more of the following conditions: • High winds • Hail • Flash floods • tornadoes
Thunderstorms • Lightning • Electric discharge that takes place between two oppositely charged surfaces • Between cloud and ground or… • Between two clouds or… • Between two parts of the same cloud.
Thunderstorms • Thunder • Rapidly expanding and contracting air from a lightning strike creates sound waves
Thunderstorms • Thunderstorm Safety • Lightning is the most dangerous and it is attracted to tall objects • Stay away from: • Trees • Bodies of water • In an open area? • crouch down
Roy Sullivan • Roy Sullivan biography Roy Cleveland Sullivan was a Forest Ranger in Virginia who had an incredible attraction to lightning... or rather it had an attraction to him. Over his 36-year career as a ranger, Sullivan was struck by lightning seven times - and survived each jolt, but not unscathed. His seventh strike put him in the Guinness Book of World Records. • Lightning strikes: • In 1942, the first lightning strike shot through Sullivan's leg and knocked his big toenail off. • In 1969, a second strike burned off his eyebrows and knocked him unconscious. • In 1970, another strike left his shoulder seared. • In 1972 his hair was set on fire and Roy had to dump a bucket of water over his head to cool off. • On August 7, 1973, another bolt ripped through his hat and hit him on the head, set his hair on fire again, threw him out of his truck and knocked his left shoe off. • On June 5, 1976, a sixth strike in 1976 left him with an injured ankle. • On June 25th, 1977, the last lightning bolt to hit Roy Sullivan sent him to the hospital with chest and stomach burns.