PHDNM
12-03-2016, 03:42 AM
Tornado Outbreaks Are On The Rise, And Scientists Don't Know Why
A single tornado can cause a lot of damage. But even worse are tornado outbreaks. Just this week, a cluster of at least 18 tornadoes struck the Southeast over two days.
Scientists are seeing bigger clusters in recent years, and they're struggling to figure out what's happening.
When weather conditions are just right — lots of rising heat and moisture, and vertical wind shear — sometimes you get more than just a tornado. Mathematician Michael Tippett at Columbia University, who tracks these outbreaks, says that while the number of tornadoes nationwide varies a lot year to year, the overall average is pretty steady.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/12/01/504039462/tornado-outbreaks-are-on-the-rise-and-scientists-dont-know-why
A single tornado can cause a lot of damage. But even worse are tornado outbreaks. Just this week, a cluster of at least 18 tornadoes struck the Southeast over two days.
Scientists are seeing bigger clusters in recent years, and they're struggling to figure out what's happening.
When weather conditions are just right — lots of rising heat and moisture, and vertical wind shear — sometimes you get more than just a tornado. Mathematician Michael Tippett at Columbia University, who tracks these outbreaks, says that while the number of tornadoes nationwide varies a lot year to year, the overall average is pretty steady.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/12/01/504039462/tornado-outbreaks-are-on-the-rise-and-scientists-dont-know-why