Gravity Waves Make Tornados from Thunderstorms

It's interesting to note how Tornados form - not with wind spinning into a mix of bad weather, but with gravity waves compacting and concentrating the force of the tornado until it forms.

According to Coleman (a meteorologist), wave-storm interactions are very important. If a gravity wave hits a rotating thunderstorm, it can sometimes spin that storm up into a tornado. What is an atmospheric gravity wave? Coleman explains: "They are similar to waves on the surface of the ocean, but they roll through the air instead of the water. Gravity is what keeps them going.

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