Understanding Tornado Formation

Tornadoes form on warm, humid days when hot air rises and meets cooler air, causing moisture to condense into clouds. This process can lead to thunderstorms. Wind shear, where wind speed or direction changes with height, creates horizontal rotation. When air rises quickly into a thunderstorm, this rotation tilts vertically, forming a funnel cloud. If the funnel touches the ground, it becomes a tornado, which can last for seconds or travel miles.

What conditions are necessary for tornadoes to develop?

• Warm and humid days

• Windy and rainy days

• Cold and dry days

• Calm and sunny days

What happens when hot air rises and meets cooler air?

• It creates a hurricane

• It forms clouds and potentially thunderstorms

• It results in a drought

• It causes an earthquake

What is wind shear?

• A type of precipitation

• A form of cloud formation

• A change in wind speed or direction with height

• A sudden drop in temperature

How does horizontal rotation occur in the atmosphere?

• Through the collision of two air masses

• From the cooling of the Earth's surface

• By the rising of warm air

• Due to wind shear

What happens to the rotation when air rises quickly into a thunderstorm?

• It slows down

• It remains horizontal

• It gets tilted vertically

• It dissipates

When does a funnel cloud become a tornado?

• When it touches the ground

• When it changes direction

• When it dissipates

• When it forms in the sky