b. May 23rd, 2011
c. Joplin, Missouri, Tornado Strong but Not Surprising? <-- Link to article.
d. Chapter 5: Climate and Terrestrial Biodiversity
e. Tornadoes form when warm, moist air masses and cold, dry air masses collide to form a storm. A continuous source of warm water is needed to keep the tornado going, in the case of the tornado in Missouri the Gulf of Mexico was the source. Currently, the temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico are about 2 degrees higher than they usually are, which can explain the oddly high amount of tornadoes in the Midwest, specifically in the area between the Rocky and Appalachian Mountains. The incredibly strong tornado that ripped through Joplin, Missouri last weekend can be classified as a F5 tornado/twister. An F5 twister has winds from 261-381 miles an hour, which can rip up pavements, flatten buildings and toss cars around. This devastating tornado took the lives of 116 people.
f. I think it is awful that tornadoes of this magnitude are becoming more and more common in the Midwest area because of the climbing temperatures of the Gulf which give fuel to the tornadoes making them even stronger. I wonder if the increasing temperatures are a result of the oil spill? or if they are a result of global warming by greenhouse gases?
g. mesocyclone- a rotating shaft of rapidly rising air within a storm. Under certain conditions, a mesocyclone can generate a tornado.
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