Tornadoes
How it happens: Tornadoes form from the conversion of warm, moist air and cool, dry air creating an instability in the atmosphere. This then creates a supercell or large thunderstorm. As the speed and direction of wind increases it creates an invisible spinning effect. As a tornado has now been formed within the storm it is only a matter of minutes until it will touchdown. Usually happen in areas where winds of all levels can occur. Conditions Required to Form: A low level of moisture, cold front, unstable atmosphere when the temperature decreases rapidly with height. Damage it can cause: The Enhanced Fujita Scale is one of a few ways that the intensity of the tornado is determined. This scale ranges from EF0- EF5. EF0 is damage to trees but no damage to substantial structures. EF5 is when the tornado is strong enough to rip buildings from their foundation and can also deform skyscrapers.The Torro Scale is another scale used to determine the intensity of a tornado. T0 is used if the storm is extremely weak and T11 is the most powerful known tornado to ever happen. Other: tornado---a violent rotation of wind extending from the thunderstorm to the ground. Although the most devastating tornado occurred in Bangladesh, the most powerful tornadoes occur in the US. The average tornado only lasts for a matter of minutes. The chance for an EF5 tornado to occur is 0.1%. The word “tornado” originates from the Spanish word, tronada, meaning thunderstorm. |
Earthquakes
How it happens: It occurs when the ground shakes, which is caused by a sudden movement of rock in the Earth’s crust. These movements occur along faults, which are thin zones of crushed rock separating blocks of crust. When one block suddenly slips and moves along a fault, he energy released creates seismic waves, causing the ground to shake. Damage it can cause: Earthquakes can cause landslides and avalanches, surface faulting, tsunamis, and liquefaction, which causes the ground to sink; flash floods are caused by liquefaction near rivers. Earthquakes also have the power to an collapse buildings, resulting in possible injury and death of people and earthquake-induced fires and floods. Other: The intensity of earthquakes is measured by the Richter scale and is recorded in a seismometer. Animals can sense earthquakes before they occur. An average earthquake lasts about one minute. More earthquakes happen in the Northern Hemisphere than the Southern Hemisphere. Rising Sea Level
How it happens: The melting of glaciers and ice sheets cause water to become warmer. As water get warmer, it takes up more space. As this process expands over the entire ocean, the sea level rises. Damage it can cause: Rising sea levels can harm important coastal ecosystems, such as the Mangrove Forests and coral reefs. It can also cause massive damage to the land; coastal flooding, erosion, loss of estuaries and wetlands, and landslides are only a few of the results of rising sea level. Rising sea level also has the power to destroy cities, such as New York City, and can cause seawater well intrusion. Other: Sea level could rise more if the big ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica melt faster. Conservative projections predict that the sea level will rise anywhere from 7 to 23 inches by 2100; Bangladesh’s scientists agree that by 2050, rising sea levels will engulf 17 percent of the land, and will displace about 18 million people. The seas in Bangladesh could rise as much as 13 feet, which is 4 times the global average. |