Exam 15: Tornadoes

How is a forward-flank downdraft produced?

When vertical wind shear causes air near the surface to rotate about a horizontal axis, ___ are created.

The Central Plains region is susceptible to tornadoes because ____.

If the updraft in a supercell is so strong that precipitation cannot fall through it, southwesterly winds aloft usually blow precipitation ____.

Tornadoes have occurred in every state, including Alaska and Hawaii.

A(n)____ atmosphere is essential for tornado development.

A system called ____ uses a light beam to measure the change in frequency of falling precipitation, cloud particles, and dust.

The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes according to the ____ of the tornado.

The tornado alley of the United States ____.

The diameter of most tornadoes is between ______.

The longest tornado damage path recorded anywhere on Earth extended 352 km (219 mi).

When a tornado is approaching from the southwest, its strongest winds are on its ____ side.

Most often, tornadoes form with supercell thunderstorms in an environment with strong ____.

The network of more than 150 Doppler radar units deployed at selected weather stations within the continental United States is referred to as ____.

The next advance in Doppler radar technology is the polarimetric radar that transmits ____.

Discuss what the Doppler radar does and the general principle upon which it works.

Opening windows during a tornado decreases the pressure on the opposite wall and, therefore, decreases the chances that the building will collapse.

Gustnadoes form along a gust front where the cool downdraft of a thunderstorm forces warm, humid air upwards.

A typical tornado outbreak includes at least ____ tornadoes in an outbreak area.

A horizontal tube of spinning air, created by vertical wind shear, causes the air near the surface to rotate about a horizontal axis, and is called a mesocyclone.