Preview


File name:

Tornadoes.swf
     


Title: Tornado Wind Patterns.
Caption: This animation first shows how vertical wind shear can lead to air spinning around an axis parallel to the ground. An updraft then creates a thunderstorm and moves the spinning air axis to a vertical position, leading to a fully developed mesocyclone with tornado.
Keywords: atmosphere, tornadoes, mesocyclones, severe thunderstorms