Tornadoes
Tornado - dark, funnel-shaped cloud containing violently rotating air that develops below a heavy cumulonimbus cloud mass and extends toward the earth. The funnel twists about, rises and falls, and where it reaches the earth causes great destruction. The diameter of a tornado varies from a few feet to a mile; the rotating winds attain velocities of 200 to 300 mi (320–480 km) per hr, and Read More...
Tornado - dark, funnel-shaped cloud containing violently rotating air that develops below a heavy cumulonimbus cloud mass and extends toward the earth. The funnel twists about, rises and falls, and where it reaches the earth causes great destruction. The diameter of a tornado varies from a few feet to a mile; the rotating winds attain velocities of 200 to 300 mi (320–480 km) per hr, and the updraft at the center may reach 200 mi per hr. The Fujita scale is the standard scale for rating the severity of a tornado as measured by the damage it causes. A tornado is usually accompanied by thunder, lightning, heavy rain, and a loud "freight train" noise. In comparison with a cyclone or hurricane, a tornado covers a much smaller area but can be violent and destructive. The atmospheric conditions required for the formation of a tornado include great thermal instability, high humidity, and the convergence of warm, moist air at low levels with cooler, drier air aloft. Although tornadoes have occurred on every continent except Antarctica, they are most common in the continental United States, where tornadoes typically form over the central and southern plains and the Gulf states, usually several hundred miles southeast of a cyclone. A tornado travels in a generally northeasterly direction with a speed of 20 to 40 mi (32–64 km) per hr. The length of a tornado's path along the ground varies from less than one mile to several hundred. Tornadoes occurring over water are called waterspouts. See J. Verkaik and A. Verkaik, Under the Whirlwind: Everything You Need to Know about Tornadoes but Didn't Know Who to Ask (1998); H. B. Bluestein, Tornado Alley: Monster Storms of the Great Plains (1999). The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright© 2004, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N.V. All rights reserved. |
Tornadoes
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1.
Eye of the Storm: Inside the World's Deadliest Hurricanes, Tornadoes, and Blizzards
by Jeffrey O. Rosenfeld. 304 pgs.
Killer tornadoes, Hurricane Georges, and the Blizzard of '96 number among the wild forces that leave unimaginable destruction in their wake. What ignites those terrifying bolts of lightning that shoot down from the heavens? What sparks those torrential downpours that flood towns in a matter of minutes? Why do these merciless acts of nature lure us to our windows although they destroy everything in sight?Jeff Rosenfeld takes us on a whirlwind adventure through the world's deadliest storms. He describes meteorologists flying through 200-mph hurricanes with winds pummeling their planes and chasing tornadoes across the desolate desert. This unprecedented work follows these brave scientists into the eye of the storm, eloquently explaining the science behind snowflakes, hail, and even the ghostly glow emanating from inside tornadoes.
Illuminating and highly entertaining, Eye of the Storm reveals that, behind the power of the tumultuous heavens, there lies a majestic, yet deadly beauty. After reading this engrossing, turbulent saga of bravery, creativity, danger, and intrigue, you'll never look at a storm the same way again.
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2.
Compendium of Meteorology ("Tornadoes and Related Phenomena" begins on p. 673)
by Thomas F. Malone. 1334 pgs.
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3.
Cartographies of Danger: Mapping Hazards in America (Chap. 5 "Death Tracks")
by Mark Monmonier. 363 pgs.
No place is perfectly safe, but some places are more dangerous than others. Whether we live on a floodplain or in "Tornado Alley," near a nuclear facility or in a neighborhood poorly lit at night, we all co-exist uneasily with natural and man-made hazards. As Mark Monmonier shows in this entertaining and immensely informative book, maps can tell us a lot about where we can anticipate certain hazards, but they can also be dangerously misleading. California, for example, takes earthquakes seriously, with a comprehensive program of seismic mapping, whereas Washington has been comparatively lax about earthquakes in Puget Sound. But as the Northridge earthquake in January 1994 demonstrated all too clearly to Californians, even reliable seismic-hazard maps can deceive anyone who misinterprets "known fault-lines" as the only places vulnerable to earthquakes. Important as it is to predict and prepare for catastrophic natural hazards, more subtle and persistent phenomena such as pollution and crime also pose serious dangers that we have to cope with on a daily basis. Hazard-zone maps highlight these more insidious hazards and raise awareness about them among planners, local officials, and the public. With the help of many maps illustrating examples from all corners of the United States, Monmonier demonstrates how hazard mapping reflects not just scientific understanding of hazards but also perceptions of risk and how risk can be reduced. Whether you live on a faultline or a coastline, near a toxic waste dump or an EMF-generating power line, you ignore this book's plain-language advice on geographic hazards and how to avoid them at your own peril. "No one should buy a home, rent an apartment, or even drink the local water without having read this fascinating cartographic alert on the dangers that lurk in our everyday lives. . . . Who has not asked where it is safe to live? Cartographies of Danger provides the answer."--H. J. de Blij, NBC News "Even if you're not interested in maps, you're almost certainly interested in hazards. And this book is one of the best places I've seen to learn about them in a highly entertaining and informative fashion."--John Casti, New Scientist
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4.
Acts of God: The Unnatural History of Natural Disaster in America ("The 'T' Word" begins on p. 152)
by Theodore Steinberg. 298 pgs.
Incredibly, the ten most costly catastrophes in U.S. history have all been natural disasters--seven of them hurricanes--and all have occurred since 1989, a period, ironically, that Congress has dubbed the Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction. Why this tremendous plague on our houses? While some claim that nature is the problem, in fact, as environmental historian Ted Steinberg explains, historically speaking, much of the death and destruction has been well within the realm of human control. Surveying more than a century of losses from weather and seismic extremes, Steinberg exposes the fallacy of seeing such calamities as simply random events. Acts of God explores the unnatural history of natural calamity, the decisions of business leaders and government officials that have paved the way for the greater losses of life and property, especially among those least able to withstand such blows--America's poor, elderly, and minorities. Seeing nature or God as the primary culprit, Steinberg argues, has helped to paper over the fact that, in truth, some Americans are better protected from the violence of nature than their counterparts lower down the socioeconomic ladder. How else can we explain that the hardest hit areas have been mobile home parks and other low-income neighborhoods? Beginning with the 1886 Charleston and 1906 San Francisco earthquakes, and continuing to the present, Steinberg spotlights the defective approach to natural hazards taken by real estate interests, the media, and policymakers. By understating the extent of storm damage in news reports and offering quick repairs and cosmetic solutions to damaged property, fundamental flaws in the status quo go unremedied, class divisions are maintained, and unsafe practices continue unquestioned. Even today, with our increased scientific knowledge, he shows that reckless building continues unabated in seismically active areas and flood-prone coastal plains, often at taxpayer expense. Sure to provoke discussion, Acts of God is a call to action that must be heard before the next disaster hits.
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5.
Due to the Weather: Ways the Elements Affect Our Lives (Chap. 19 "Tornadoes")
by Abraham Resnick. 228 pgs.
Students can use this unique guide to discover not only what causes particular weather events such as avalanches and droughts but also how the weather affects such aspects of our daily lives as business and health. Hundreds of meteorological events, expository facts and fascinating anecdotes are presented to demonstrate the diverse methods people take in coping with or adjusting to the weather. Facts about such events as the worst tornadoes in history, as well as climographs depicting the weather patterns in different parts of the world help to provide the reader with a wealth of unusual information pertaining to the elements.
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7.
Weather and the Ocean of Air (Chap. XIV "Utmost Violence of Air-Tornadoes and Waterspouts")
by William Holmes Wenstrom. 488 pgs.
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8.
Radar Observes the Weather (Chap. 7 "Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, and Hurricanes")
by Louis J. Battan. 160 pgs.
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10.
Storm Watchers: The Turbulent History of Weather Prediction from Franklin's Kite to El Nino
by John D. Cox. 252 pgs.
A lively, inspiring account of the pioneers who sought to accurately predict the weather Benjamin Franklin . . . James P. Espy . . . Cleveland Abbe . . . Carl-Gustaf Rossby . . . Jule G. Charney . . . just a few of the remarkable individuals who struggled against formidable odds to understand the atmosphere and predict the weather. Where they saw patterns and processes, others saw randomness and tumult-and yet they strove to make their voices heard, often saving lives in the process. Storm Watchers takes you on a fascinating journey through time that captures the evolution of weather forecasting. From the age when meteorology was considered one step removed from sorcery to the modern-day wizardry of supercomputers, John Cox introduces you to the pioneering scientists whose work fulfilled an ancient dream and made it possible to foretell the future. He tells the little-known stories of these weathermen, such as Ptolemy's weather predictions based on astrology, John Finley's breakthrough research in identifying tornadoes, and Tor Bergeron's new techniques of weather forecasting, which contributed to its final worldwide acceptance. Filled with extraordinary tales of bravery and sacrifice, Storm Watchers will make you think twice the next time you turn on the local news to catch the weather report.
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