How does a Tornado Work?
How a Tornado
- A large,
thermally stratified situation develops in the atmosphere,
with plenty of hot, humid air trapped beneath cold, dry
- For some reason,
the "cap," (the stable layer of air between the hot and
cold air) is disturbed. The disturbance can be caused by
an upper-level air disturbance, or the arrival of a front
- As the
lower-level air rises, it expands in the reduced air
pressure aloft (air pressure drops as altitude increases),
and it cools. Eventually, the cooling causes the moisture
to condense (defined).
releases latent heat, warming the air, making it buoyant,
and causing it to rise quickly (at speeds up to 150 mph).
By now, the cloud has formed into a thunderstorm.
Upper-level winds tilt the thunderhead to create the
anvil at the top.
- The thunderstorm
may die out in intense rain and/or hall. Or it may spawn a
between air at various altitudes, humidities and
temperatures causes rain, lightning, air circulation and
an intensification of the rotating updraft, called a "mesocyclone."
Low-level wind helps cause this rotation, which is almost
always counter-clockwise (seen from above) in the Northern
- A tornado may
form below the mesocyclone. As the spinning column of air
narrows, it rotates faster and extends higher into the
How to Make a Homemade Tornado
can create a tornado of your own quite easily. Here are two
Take two 2-liter soda bottles, fill one with water, and
purchase an item called a Tornado Tube. The tube connects
the bottles so that one is upside down. (If you don't want
to buy a tornado tube, just use good old-fashioned duct
tape.) Simply turn the bottle with water to the top, give
the bottles a twist, and a vortex (a rotating circulation)
will flow into the lower bottle.
2: You can
also make a vortex by filling a mayonnaise or canning jar
about three-quarters full. Add food coloring to water, along
with a teaspoon of liquid dishwashing detergent and a
teaspoon of vinegar. Tighten the lid, shake the jar
vigorously, and then give it a good twist. The liquid will
form a vortex that looks like a small tornado. It will even
lengthen and then retreat like a real tornado.