15 Questions
What is a characteristic of a thunderstorm?
It is a type of storm with thunder and lightning
What is the approximate number of thunderstorms that occur in the United States each year?
100,000
What is necessary for a thunderstorm to form?
Moisture, unstable air, and a lifting force
What is the function of convection in thunderstorm formation?
It causes the air to rise
What type of cloud is associated with thunderstorms?
Cumulonimbus cloud
What is a characteristic of a multi-cell line storm?
It is a group of storms arranged in a line with high winds and heavy rain.
What is a requirement for a thunderstorm to be classified as 'severe'?
It must have winds exceeding 58 mph or hail one inch or greater.
What is the process that causes lightning?
Ice particles collide and bounce off each other, producing electrical charges.
What is a mesoscale convective system?
A collection of thunderstorms that act as a system.
What is storm asthma?
An asthma attack caused by thunderstorm-related pollen.
What happens to the air when it cools?
It cannot hold as much water as warm air
What is the typical altitude that thunderstorms can reach?
33,000 feet
What causes the formation of a storm cell?
A combination of a warm updraft and a cool downdraft
What is the nickname often used for single cell thunderstorms?
Popcorn storms
What happens during the mature stage of a thunderstorm?
The updraft continues, but precipitation begins to fall out of the storm
Study Notes
Types of Thunderstorms
- Multi-cell lines: a group of storms arranged in a line with high winds and heavy rain; not likely to produce tornadoes
- Supercells: storms that last longer than an hour and are very organized; gain power by a tilted and rotating updraft; can produce large and violent tornadoes
- Severe Thunderstorms: classified as severe when containing hail one inch or greater, winds exceeding 58 mph, or a tornado; can occur from any type of storm cell
Hazards
- Lightning: created when ice particles collide and bounce off each other; releases electrical energy, usually within the cloud
- Hail: a form of precipitation that is chunks of ice from inside an updraft; can be very dangerous and deadly
- Tornadoes: rapidly rotating vortices that come to the ground during storms; determined by wind speed
- Flash Floods: heavy rainfall in a short amount of time; water builds up too quickly before it can soak into the ground
- Downbursts: powerful winds formed when high air pressure systems sink down
- Storm Asthma: asthma attack directly caused by a thunderstorm; pollen absorbs moisture until it bursts into many particles
Thunderstorm Description
- Thunderstorms happen in a cumulonimbus cloud; very tall and dark
- Can form and develop in almost any location
- Can move with the flow of the wind in the troposphere
- 16 million thunderstorms occur worldwide each year; 100,000 in the United States with at least 10% reaching severe levels
Thunderstorm Formation
- Three ingredients needed: moisture, unstable air, and a lifting force (heat)
- Sun heats the surface of the earth, which warms the air above it
- Warm air rises, mixes into the atmosphere, and cools; water vapor condenses and builds into a cumulus cloud
Thunderstorm Life Cycle
- Developing Stage: cumulus cloud grows in height with occasional lightning but little to no precipitation
- Mature Stage: precipitation begins to fall, creating a downdraft; heavy rain, hail, lightning, and tornadoes occur
- Dissipating Stage: front forces the storm to break up; precipitation decreases as the storm moves out of the area
Test your knowledge about thunderstorms, their formation, development, and characteristics. Learn about the differences between thunderstorms and other types of storms. Get ready to storm into this quiz!
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