Tornadoes are sometimes completely unpredictable, and although they don’t last very long, they do extensive damage where they occur. Do you know how they are produced on Earth and what has been the most harmful of all?
How are they produced?
Scientifically, these phenomena are columns of air in rotation that connect at the top with a storm cloud (of the cumulonimbus type) and at the base with the Earth’s surface. Air that rises in storm updrafts can begin to rotate when affected by winds blowing in different directions. However, for a tornado to develop it is essential that the air rotates close to the ground, and this only happens when, in storms, the air sinks into the ground and spreads in the form of gusts over the earth’s surface.
In this way, the warmer air begins to rise while the cold one descends, forming currents that generate the rotation. Air closer to the ground accelerates as it approaches the axis of rotation, creating the ‘funnel’ structure of tornadoes from the ground.
How are tornadoes measured?
Currently, scientists measure tornadoes with the ‘Fujita Scale’, a scale that rates the intensity of a tornado based on the destruction caused to human-built structures and vegetation. Most tornadoes move at speeds ranging from 65 to 180 kilometers per hour, but they can be faster even under the right conditions.
In terms of scale, EF0 tornadoes usually reach 105 kilometers per hour and cause minor damage, while the most intense (category EF5) can exceed 322 kilometers per hour, destroying houses (even concrete structures) and destroying everything after its catastrophic step.
Also in the seas
Contrary to what some people may think, tornadoes can also occur in the seas. However, these are called sleeves or waterspouts. The difference with tornadoes (which occur on the ground) is that at their base they do not have soil, but water, despite the fact that the formation process is completely identical.
