Tornadoes - Oh My!

Tornadoes – Oh my!

A slidedeck for student engagement

Credit: UCAR Digital Image Library

Tornado slidedeck overview:

• How tornadoes form

• Types of tornadoes

• The Enhanced Fujita Scale

• Tornado Shapes

Credit: NOAA

Credit: UCAR

Fun Fact:

Only about one thunderstorm in a thousand produces tornadoes. Most tornadoes form during rotating supercellthunderstorms that often grow to over 40,000 feet.


Image from VORTEXT2: http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/projects/vortex2/learn/

Credit: UCAR

How tornadoes form

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/tstorms/tornado.htm

Can you spot the hook?

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Types of Tornadoes

How are tornadoes classified?

• What are the limitations of using qualitative observations (shape, colors) to classify the strength of a tornado?

Can you think of a way to quantify the strength of tornadoes? How else can tornadoes be quantified?

Enhanced Fujita Scale

• The Enhanced Fujita scale assigns a tornado “rating” based on estimated wind speeds and related damage

• The National Weather Service is the only federal agency with authority to provide “official” tornado EF Scale ratings

The Enhanced Fujita Scale

The EF Rating is on a scale 0 to 5, depending on the 3 second gust (mph)

Ranks 1-28 based on damage indicators (DIs) such as building type, structures, and trees.

Note: This only shows the first 10 damage indicators of the Enhanced F Scale

Shapes of tornadoes

• Stove-pipe

• Dust Column (generally small and weak)

• Wedge (Large and fierce)

• Rope

Stove-pipe (F0-F3)

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Dust Column Tornado (F0-F1)

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Wedge Tornadoes (F2-F5)

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Rope

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Tornadoes - Oh My!

Education

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