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.
Read more at NASA
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Posted by Jay Brewer at April 8, 2008 7:10 AM
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