Bruna Vieira, Julia Vanina,
Ryan Wasserberg!
Supercell T-storms
...A supercell is an often dangerous convective storm with
a very organized internal structure including a rotating
updraft that allows it to keep going for up to several hours.
Supercells are capable of producing severe weather
including high winds, large hail, and strong tornadoes...
Stages of Development!
-Three basics are required for a thunderstorm to form: moisture,
rising unstable air (air that keeps rising when given a nudge), and a
lifting mechanism to provide the "nudge.“
-Thunderstorms have a life cycle of three stages: The developing
stage, the mature stage, and the dissipating stage
.
-Thunderstorms form almost anywhere except the polar ice caps. They are
especially dangerous in the Great Plains or Canadian Prairies.
Stages of Development!
Stage one.
-The developing stage of a thunderstorm is
marked by a cumulus cloud that is being
pushed upward by a rising column of air.
There is little to no rain during this stage but
occasional lightning. The developing stage
lasts about 10 minutes.
Stages of Development!
Stage two.
The thunderstorm enters the mature
stage when the updraft continues to feed the
storm, but precipitation begins to fall out of
the storm, and a downdraft begins (a column
of air pushing downward). When the
downdraft and rain-cooled air spreads out
along the ground it forms a gust front, or a
line of gusty winds. The mature stage is the
most likely time for hail, heavy rain, frequent
lightning, strong winds, and tornadoes. The
storm occasionally has a black or dark green
appearance.
Stages of Development!
Stage three.
Eventually, a large amount of
precipitation is produced and the
updraft is overcome by the
downdraft beginning the dissipating
stage. At the ground, the gust front
moves out a long distance from the
storm and cuts off the warm moist
air that was feeding the
thunderstorm. Rainfall decreases in
intensity, but lightning remains a
danger.
Cloud Formation!
-Clouds are formed when air containing water vapor is cooled below
a critical temperature called the dew point and the resulting
moisture condenses into droplets on microscopic dust particles
(condensation nuclei) in the atmosphere
Weather Instrument!
A thermometer is a device
that measures temperature
or temperature gradient using a
variety of different principles.
Safety Procedures!
Outdoors:
Stay low
If possible, find shelter in a building
Keep away from trees, tall objects, metal
objects and water
Discontinue use of phones and electrical Boaters and swimmer should get to land
equipment. You may also want to unplug as a soon as possible
If you're in a group caught outside, spread
appliances and computers.
out.
If you begin to feel your hair stand on end,
Avoid taking a shower or bath. If
lightning strikes your house it may send this indicates lightning is about to strike.
You should drop to your knees and bend
a current of electricity across metal
forward placing your hands on your knees
plumbing throughout the house.
and crouch down. Do not lie flat on the
ground, this will only make you a larger
target.
Indoors:
Stay off the phone
Stay away from windows
Use flashlights if the power goes out
Historically Significant Weather!
- May 5, 1995 in Fort Worth, Texas. “Many were caught in the open
with little shelter when the supercell struck the fair with up to
softball-size hail. Over 100 people were injured, with many of the
injuries occurring as parents covered their children with their bodies
to protect them from the plummeting chunks of ice.”
Fun Facts!
-Create a high threat to life and property. They
can produce strong to violent tornadoes.
-To calculate how far you are from a thunder
bolt, count the seconds that have passed between
a lightning bold and the next sound of thunder
and divide the duration by five. The results are in
miles.
-Animals sit when there is a thunderstorm.
-out of the 100,000 t-Storms tat occur each year
in the U.S only about 10% are considered severe.
Only a few reach supercell stage.
The End!