EFFECTS OF ATMOSPHERIC INSTABILITY ON THE ANTHROSPHERE
INTRODUCTION
The atmosphere rises to 500 km above Earth's surface. The atmosphere is divided into four parts based on temperature change in relation to change in altitude. The four parts are the: Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, and Thermosphere. This paper will be discussing instability in the Troposphere, the lowest level, since it is where the Earth's weather takes place. Tropospheric instability often times yields severe weather, such as tornadoes. A Tornado is a violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and pendent from a cumulonimbus cloud. A tornado's fierce winds have the ability to severely impact the lives of humans by: turning innocent stationary objects into flying missiles, collapsing buildings, and even throwing people hundreds of yards. One researcher summarized tornadoes well when he said "Tornadoes are one of the World's strongest forces, and they will not stop at anything that will get in their way!"(Elias Demakes).
FORMATION OF SEVERE WEATHER
HOW: Atmospheric instability is the result of air rising in a cloud that is warmer than its surroundings. The heat released by the condensation within the cloud allows the rising air to maintain its relative warmth in comparison to its surroundings. This is characteristic of a supercell, the strongest type of thunderstorm (Supercell). Supercells occur when the warm updraft moves through an overlying stable layer and continues upward into a zone of cool dry air. This process produces fierce vortex motions, a pre-requisite for tornadoes.
WHERE: Tornadoes can occur anywhere as long as the conditions are favorable. However, the United States is host to more tornadoes than any other country. And within the United States, geographically, the western plains has the highest frequency of tornado occurences. The western plains has so many that it has become known as "Tornado Valley". One reason that this area receives so much tornadic activity is because here, the warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico converges with the cool dry air from the north. This creates the unstable atmosphere necessary for the formation of a tornado.
WHEN: Tornadoes can occur on any day of the year at any hour. However, tornadoes occur most frequently in the spring.
Although the tornado of 10 June 1938 has been known about, at least anecdotally, within the scientific community since it was brought to light in 1939 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, this potentially rich source of historic information has lain fallow. It is within this rich field of mobile, American thinking that we undertake this effort. A team of scientists with courage, brains, and even heart brought the resources to bear on the challenge.
According to Webster’s Dictionary, a tornado is a rotating column of air accompanied by a funnel shaped downward extension of a cumulonimbus cloud and having a vortex several hundred yards in diameter whirling destructively at speeds of up to three hundred miles per hour. There are six classifications of tornadoes, which are measured on what is known as the Fujita Scale. These tornadoes range from an F0 to an F5, which is the most devastating of all. Abnormal warm, humid, and oppressive weather usually precede the formation of a tornado. Records of American tornadoes date back to 1804 and have been known to occur in every state of the United States.
Tornadoes are “violent windstorms that take the form of a rotating column of air or vortex that extends downward from a cumulonimbus cloud” as Tarbuck and Lutgens (2012) explain.
The types of tornadoes include landspout, multiple vortex tornado, and waterspout. Landspouts are a kind of tornado not associated with the mesocyclone of a thunderstorm...
As evening approached, several thunderstorms began to take on the characteristics of a supercell thunderstorm. Supercells, which are intense, broadly rotating thunderstorms, are the most v...
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), (2001). U.S. Tornado Climatology. Accessed on 9//27/2011 at http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/severeweather/tornadoes.html#deadly
2. The USA Today Tornado Information site also indicates that there are three key conditions for thunderstorms to form.
I would like to start out by what we know about tornados and outbreaks, and what is said to be the cause of such catastrophic events, such as the outbreak that occurred November 17th in the Midwestern, portion of the United States. Tornado outbreaks occur when there are multiple tornados that are said to be produced by the same weather system. The classification of an outbreak can vary depending on interpretation. It is said that in order to be classified as a “tornado outbreak” there must be a certain number of tornados that touch down. It is said that the US has the most tornados of any country. This can be attributed the location with in the mid latitude. The Rocky Mountains, have the ability to block moisture and “buckle” the atmospheric flow; thus forcing a lot of dry air at mid-levels of the troposphere, due to downslope winds. While the Rockies are forming a “dry-line” the Gulf of Mexico on the other hand contributes a lot of low level moisture. This mixture of warm air and cold air is to blame for the large number of tornados that form in the US. These events are most prevalent in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States, along with the Great Plains also known as (tornado alley) although some of these systems have been known to move as far North as Canada. The tornado outbreak that took place on the 17th of November is said to have been the one of the largest outbreaks to have occurred in eight years. This particular storm spawned a total of 72 tornados that swept through seven states, according to the National Weather Service. This outbreak is being considered the fourth largest outbreak of its kind, especially this time of year.
A tornado occurs in very powerful thunderstorms, and usually it occurs in a super cell. A super cell is a type of storm that already has rotation inside of it, called a mesocycle. A tornado begins to form when a downdraft of air pulls the mesocycle down towards the ground. A funnel begins to form, and when the funnel cloud finally touches down, it officially becomes a tornado. As warm, moist air (the fuel of a tornado) is drawn into the tornado, it matures...
'I saw dancing lights in the sky, spiking straight up starting around a few hundred feet off the ground. They waved a bit like curtains’-Mike Taylor. The Aurora Borealis is a display of solar flares that collide with the earth's atmosphere and cause a phenomenal light show, but do the impact of the solar flares affect the earth in any way? If so, is it a positive or negative reaction? Solar flares are also known as space weather. It is said in many research papers that space weather has a long term effect on the earth's atmosphere. If space weather truly does have negative long term effects on the earth’s atmosphere, then the planet might become uninhabitable for any life considering that all living organisms except bacteria and related bacteria life survive on oxygen. The long term effects of space weather in relation to the earths atmosphere will be discussed and based on facts, opinions, and scientific evidence.
Many scientists often find themselves wondering if the tri-state tornado was really a single massive tornado or if it was part of a family of tornadoes that continuously evolve from one supercell to another. Only one factor stands in the way of this theory and that is a cyclical supercell usually has breaks in its destructive path. The tri-state tornado's path of damage appeared to be continuous despite two slight decreases in the destruction. One of which was near the onset of the storm, and one near the demise. No matter which is believed, one thing is for certain, and that is a storm like the tri-state tornado could very well happen again, but there is no telling when or where it may occur.
Tornadoes are one of the deadliest and most unpredictable villains mankind will ever face. There is no rhyme or reason, no rhythm to it’s madness. Tornados are one of the most terrifying natural events that occur, destroying homes and ending lives every year. April 29th, 1995, a calm, muggy, spring night I may never forget. Jason, a buddy I grew up with, just agreed to travel across state with me so we could visit a friend in Lubbock. Jason and I were admiring the beautiful blue bonnets, which traveled for miles like little blue birds flying close to the ground. The warm breeze brushed across the tips of the blue bonnets and allowed them to dance under the perfectly clear blue sky. In the distance, however, we could see darkness. A rumbling sky was quickly approaching.
A tornado requires some basic ingredients to come together. First, energy in the form of warm, moist air must exist to feed thunder storms. Second, there must be a top layer of hot, dry air called a cap. This air acts like a lid on a simmering pot, holding in the warm air that’s accumulating in the atmosphere below until the storm’s ready to burst. Last, there has to be rotating winds speeding in oppositedirections at two different levels in the atmosphere, a phenomenon called wind shear, can cause the storms to rotate. Tornado alley is perfectly situated to meet these requirements. (1)
pressure from the latitudes at 5 to 30 degrees north and 5 to 30 degrees
Technology has effectively improved the predictions and understanding of very serious natural disasters and storms. Radars and Satellites have greatly helped scientists predict the pathways of storms and weather fronts. Due to the advancement of technology scientists have started to learn and understand the devilments and anatomies of the most feared natural disasters such as Hurricanes, Tornadoes, and Snowstorms. Scientist’s predictions and discoveries have helped the public get into a safer location. Weather technology advanced and is continuing to improve to help prevent casualties and economic loses. Weather Technology has came a long way from the pioneering days of storm predictions, If the technology continues to improve there is a great possibility that the public will become more prepared and damages will be at a minimum.