Tornado Research Paper

The National Weather Service defines a tornado as a "violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and pendant from a thunderstorm. Tornados are one of nature's most violent storms. All though extremely localized in area some tornado wind speeds can exceed 300 mph. Statistics state only 2 percent overall tornados actually exceed 200 mph. Throughout the nation's history every single state has been hit by a tornado, even Hawaii and Alaska have. Most of the countries tornados happen within region called "Tornado Alley", a region that starts from Iowa and runs through eastern Nebraska and to central Texas or in southeastern parts of the country.

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Tornados can happen almost anytime or anywhere whether it is in the middle of a river, Tornado Alley, or your front door step. Although, climate and atmospheric conditions over the U.S. makes tornados happen more frequently than anywhere else on the earth.

Conditions relevant to a tornado's formation are best in the months of April, May and June, although the peak season for tornadoes differs from region to region. In the Southeast, tornado activity peaks in February through April, whereas in the northern Plains, tornado formation is greatest in June through August. In the intervening regions of the Midwest and Ohio Valley, tornado frequency is greatest from the early spring through mid-summer.

The reason for the different seasons of tornado formation is that the warmth, moisture, and instability, which must be present in the lower troposphere for tornadoes to develop, usually exist in the south early in the year, and then migrate to the north and west as spring and summer progress. In addition, the jet stream migrates northward from winter to summer. A secondary tornado season happens in the South in late autumn, which is when the jet stream shifts to its typical southerly wintertime position. Tornadoes can occur at any time of day, but are more likely to occur from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM, with the maximum number forming around 5:00 PM. In Tornado Alley, very few tornadoes occur in the morning, while in the Southeast, a significant percentage occurs during the night and morning hours.

Tornadoes vary greatly with respect to their size and strength. The average distance that a tornado stays in contact with the ground is just under one mile, while the average width of its path is fifty yards. However, some exceptionally large tornadoes can stay on the ground for 50 miles or more and exceed one mile in width. While there are many things about tornado formation that are poorly understood, there are nevertheless several conditions that need to be met if tornadoes, and the thunderstorms with they are associated, are to develop.

These conditions include a low level of moisture which is necessary for the upward or vertical development of thunderstorm clouds. It requires a "trigger" to lift the moist air aloft such as a cold front. It also needs unstable atmospheric conditions so that once the air begins to rise and becomes saturated, it will continue rising to great heights and strong winds that shift in direction with increasing altitude. This provides the spin that tornadoes need to form. In addition, differences in the jet stream may sometimes play an important role by helping pull air upward and increase a storm's violence. When these conditions come together, tornado-bearing thunderstorms develop in an explosive manner.

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