1. Tornadoes, Hurricanes, and Global Weather Mr. Jason Simpson

2. What is SCALE? Measurement A Thing on a Fish An Action SCALE is related to the ____ of an object AND the ____ it is active or is occurring. TIME SIZE

3. METEOROLOGY: The study of the atmosphere and the weather that happens in it. Microscale There are FOUR scales of measurement in meteorology. They include a SPACE and a TIME. Mesoscale Synoptic Global

4. Comparing and Contrasting “Cyclones!” “ Cyclones” are areas of low pressure. Air pressure is a _____. Air is made up of tiny _________ that move up, down, and side-to-side in the atmosphere. Microscale Synoptic FORCE PARTICLES

5. Comparing and Contrasting “Cyclones!” Low Pressure (rising air) High Pressure (sinking air) The Wind! (horizontal) Cylones (lows) rotate counter-clockwise.

6. A tornado’s wind can range from 65 to over 250 miles per hour! The ________ ______ Scale rates a tornado’s strength based on the damage it does. ENHANCED FUJITA EF-0 (65-85 MPH) EF-1 (86-110 MPH) EF-2 (111-135 MPH) EF-3 (136-165 MPH) EF-4 (166-200 MPH) EF-5 (Over 200 MPH)

7. EF-1 Tornado Leighton, AL

8. EF-3 Prattville, AL

9. FOUR (2 in 1974, 1 in 1977, 1 in 1998) How many EF-5 tornadoes has Alabama recorded? EF-5 Damage 1998 1977 LINK LINK April 8

10. Tornadoes form from individual _____________. THUNDERSTORMS Radar Image Cumulonimbus Cloud View underneath a cumulonimbus into a “wall cloud.” Do you see a tornado here? Tornadoes are ___________ events because they are small and do not last very long. MICROSCALE

11. Individual Thunderstorms and Tornadoes are tracked by a RADAR. How Radar Works O Doppler Radar detects precipitation, and it can determine if the rain, hail, or snow is moving TOWARD or AWAY FROM the radar site!

12. Hurricanes range from a few hundred to a few thousand miles wide! They are _______ scale events. SYNOPTIC USA TODAY Saffir-Simpson Scale Satellite Animation of Hurricane Katrina (2005) A hurricane’s wind ranges from 74 to over 200 miles per hour. The _____________ scale describes a hurricane’s strength by wind AND ____________. SAFFIR-SIMPSON STORM SURGE

13. Hurricanes are storm _______. SYSTEMS Radar Image Close-Up Satellite Loop of Hurricane Igor (2010) The center of a hurricane is called the ____. The weather is ____ in this area. EYE CALM

14. What’s the Difference? Tornado Hurricane - One Thunderstorm - Small Size - Short Life - Usually stronger on LAND - Strength is in the wind - System of thunderstorms - Large Size - Long Life - Strong over WATER - Strength is in the wind AND water (storm surge) - Tornadoes are a part of a storm, they do not CREATE storms. - Hurricanes are made of storms and can CREATE tornadoes!

15. What is This Thing? Waterspouts are tornadoes on water!

16. The GLOBAL Picture The ___ ______ is a global scale weather feature. It is a river of ___ that moves storm systems. JET STREAM AIR

17. The GLOBAL Picture WESTERLIES EASTERLIES Hurricanes form in the _____________. Alabama is often in this band of wind in the Summer and early Fall. Alabama is usually in the ____________. That is where most severe storms and tornadoes occur.

18. The GLOBAL Picture Global circulation begins with the ___! Uneven heat on Earth’s surface causes air to move. Moving air is called ______. SUN WIND

19. The GLOBAL Picture The westerlies bring a clash of air masses where _______ form. FRONTS An unstable, warm air mass, changing winds, and thunderstorms are where tornadoes usually come from.

20. The GLOBAL Picture Hurricanes form in the __________ (Trade Winds). EASTERLIES This band of wind moves north toward Alabama in Summer and early Fall.

21. The GLOBAL Picture The atmosphere’s mission is to bring _____________. EQUILIBRIUM This is why we have STORMS!

22. The GLOBAL Picture Hurricanes transport _____ air from the tropics toward the poles. WARM

23. The GLOBAL Picture Thunderstorms transport warm air near the surface high into the very cold atmosphere above. The surface is ________, and the air high above the surface is __________. COOLED WARMED

24. QUESTIONS?