Schematic of Funnel StageLecture #19
Supercell Storms and Tornadoes (Continued)
Monday, 5 March 2001
Text Reading for Lecture
#19
Severe Thunderstorms (385-395)
Tornadoes (403-413)
SUPERCELL STORMS (Continued)
Other information on supercells
available HERE
Tornadic
Supercell Storms and
Tornadogenesis
Stages of a Tornado
Large tornadoes typically proceed through a
distinct 3-stage life-cycle:
Schematic of Funnel Stage
Photo of Funnel Stage (Courtesy Bob Houze, U of
Washington)
Schematic of Mature Stage
Photo of Mature Stage
Schematic of Rope Stage
Photo of Rope Stage (Courtesy Bob Houze, U of
Washington)
Other tornado photos HERE
Multi-Vortex Tornadoes
Schematic of multi-vortex tornado
Photograph of multi-vortex tornado
Photograph of scratch marks made by a multi-vortex tornado.
Non-Supercell Tornadogenesis
Tornadoes can form from lines of relatively
clouds that are growing above a surface
wind-shift line (along which vertical rotation
exists and can be stretched to intensify the
vortex, leading sometimes to weak tornadoes
often referred to as "land spouts").
Life cycle of non-supercell tornadoes
(Wakimoto and
Wilson, MWR, 1989).
Movies of non-supercell tornadoes
via numerical simulation
The Tornado Project Online
- A Good Source of
Information for the Curious
The OU Doppler on Wheels Radar
Climatology of Tornadoes
Courtesy Harold
Brooks, NSSL
Courtesy Harold
Brooks, NSSL
Courtesy Harold
Brooks, NSSL
Courtesy Harold
Brooks, NSSL
Other severe storm climatology information
can be found HERE.
WIND HODOGRAPHS (no text reading)
A real hodograph:
ADIABATIC CHARTS/THERMODYNAMIC
DIAGRAMS (text reading pages 174-175; review
pages 161-171)
To come: Use of soundings and hodographs
to determine storm type, motion, and
other characteristics.