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tornadoes

  1. What is a tornado?
    • violently rotating column of air
    • funnel or tubular shaped cloud
    • extends downward from a cumulonimbus cloud to the ground
  2. Where and how does a tornado form?
    • mostly US in the Plains states between the Rocky's and Appalachians
    • wind spins horizontally
    • then updraft of wind
    • whole things tips upward
  3. What is the average wind speed of tornadoes?
    71-112 mph
  4. How fast do they travel
    • 40 mph
    • SW to NE
  5. What are the details of the Super Tuesday Tornadoes?
    • 2008
    • warm moist air in advance of front
    • deadliest outbreak in 23 years
    • long lasting MSC's and supercells
    • 97 weather stations broke/tied high temp record
  6. How do you mitigate for tornadoes?
    • building codes - shelters
    • doppler radar
    • town webcams
    • sirens
  7. What can you do as an individual to mitigate for tornado threat since you live in a threat-area?
    • build safe room
    • get NOAA radio
    • take shelter in bathroom or interior closet and protect head from flying debris
  8. What should you not do in case of a tornado?
    • do not live in a wood frame house or trailer
    • do not stay in vehicle
  9. funnel cloud
    rapidly rotating column of air that does not touch ground
  10. waterspout
    rapidly rotating column of air over water
  11. dust devil
    rapidly rotating column of air caused by hot air rising from dry land
  12. Tornado Alley
    • a belt that stretches from north to south through the central US
    • highest risk for tornadoes
  13. tornado warning
    a tornado has actually been sighted or detected by weather radar and people should take immediate action to protect themselves and others
  14. tornado watch
    warns the public of the possibility of a tornado
Author
robynchristine
ID
270668
Card Set
tornadoes
Description
GEOL 1301 Major Review Topics for Exam III
Updated

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