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Which factors enable climatologist to predict the time and location of tornadoes?
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Predicting the timing and location of tornadoes is more the job of a meteorologist than a climatologist.
A climatologist looks at large-scale and long term weather patterns over the course of years and even decades and generally does not focus on brief, specific events such as tornadoes.
However, a climatologist, given the right information on wind shear, temperature, and humidity patterns might look at the potential for long term patterns in tornado activity. Unfortunately, our current understanding of tornado climatology is too incomplete to make any useful predictions.
A meteorologist has a bit of an easier time in terms of tornadoes, focusing mainly on weather patterns over the course of hours and days. A meteorologist may look at conditions coming together such as wind shear, warm, moist air in the lower atmosphere, and incoming weather fronts. By looking at these factors a meteorologist can hours say, up to a few days in advance, that a broad region is at risk of having tornadoes. In a simplified version of the typical scenario that leads to tornadoes: warm, moist air in the lower atmosphere acts as the fuel for thunderstorms, while an incoming front triggers them. Wind shear then sets the storms rotating, allowing them to produce tornadoes.
Whether a specific place is likely to be hit can only be told minutes in advance. A meteorologist looks at radar images, which can show the signs of rotation in a thunderstorm that may lead to or even be a tornado. They also receive reports from people who can spot tornadoes and funnel clouds. This comes together to warm people who are in the potential path of a tornado.
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
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What type of information is used to predict tornadoes?
Temperature, Doppler radar, and wind direction are some of the types of information used to predict tornadoes.
How easy can you predict a tornado?
Overall it is extremely difficult to predict tornadoes. By weather standards tornadoes are small and form quickly, usually occurring on a time scale of minutes or seconds. Additionally, how a tornado works is still largely unknown.
Why do meteorologists like to chase tornadoes?
Meteorologists chase tornadoes because they can conduct research to better understand and predict them. Many storm chasers, though are not meteorologists, and just chase for the thrill or because tornadoes fascinate them.
How do meteorologists predict when a tornado will occur?
The ability to predict tornadoes is very limited. On the long term (hours to days) meteorologists look for instability in the atmosphere; high instability means a high potential for strong thunderstorms. The other main factor is wind shear, which gives storms the rotation they need to produce tornadoes. Looking at these factors and a few others it is possible to estimate the potential for tornadoes occurring within a large region, though it is still impossible to predict whether any specific location will be hit. On a shorter term scale of minutes meteorologists look at radar data from individual thunderstorms to determine their chances of producing a tornado and possibly catch a tornado in the act of forming. This is when specific locations may receive a tornado warning if it is necessary. Eyewitness reports from trained spotters are also use in these short-term predictions.
How do scientists predict and study tornadoes?
In the long term tornadoes are predicted by looking at factors such as temperature and wind speed and direction at different levels of the atmosphere and by monitoring any storm systems that might come through the area. In the short term tornadoes are predicted by scanning thunderstorms with doppler radar and looking for signs of strong rotation.Scientists study tornadoes primarily with doppler radar as well, which can pick up information on the winds inside the funnel it you can get close enough. A few have deployed probes inside of tornadoes to take measurements.
What does a climatologist do?
A climatologist examines the changes in the climate and endeavor to predict long term forecasts. Climatologists are unlike meteorologists who study climate changes in the short term.
What does climatologist do?
A climatologist examines the changes in the climate and endeavor to predict long term forecasts. Climatologists are unlike meteorologists who study climate changes in the short term.
What animal that predict the tornadoes?
There is not real scientific evidence that animals predict tornadoes. Tornadoes come with thunderstorms, and some animals, such as dogs, may hear the thunder before we do, but it is unlikely that they can actually predict tornadoes.
What type of information is used to predict tornadoes?
Temperature, Doppler radar, and wind direction are some of the types of information used to predict tornadoes.
What is the counties in TN that is having a tornado today?
It is impossible to predict what counties will and won't have tornadoes at any given time. Tornadoes are very difficult to predict.
Are tornadoes are the most difficult from of severe weather to predict?
No, it is not
Can we predict when extreme tornadoes will happen?
Only to a very limited degree. Analysis of weather conditions can help determine the potential for tornadoes, including strong tornadoes, across a region on a given day. However, it cannot predict how strong individual tornadoes will be or where they will strike. We can also tell if a specific storm cell has potential to produce strong tornadoes, but we still cannot predict excactly when a tornado will form.
Do dogs predict tornadoes?
Yes, they do.I have personally owned dogs who can predict tornadoes. I had a Pekingese who was very sensitive to changes in air pressure. This dog was never wrong. I could tell by his behavior when there would be a tornado near our little town.I have since studied this and it seems that they can sense changes in air pressure. They probably sense other factors as well, such as subtle changes in magnetic fields. I am a veterinary technician and I have no doubt that dogs can presict tornadoes.
Are there going to be any tornadoes in baton rogue?
It is impossible to predict tornadoes in the long run. Baton Rouge has been hit by tornadoes before, so there is a good chance it will be hit again, but there is no way of knowing when the next one will hit until it actually happens. As of January 22, 2013 there is a potential risk of severe weather in the Mississippi Valley on January 27 or 28, but there is not enough information to know the extent of the threat or if there is potential for tornadoes. Even then, such forecasts are only fore general regions and cannot predict what will happen at a specific location.
Who are the people who study tornadoes prevention?
Meteorologists (weather scientists) study tornadoes and how to predict them, but there are no real efforts to try to prevent them. That is impossible.
Is it possible to use tornadoes as a source of energy?
No. Tornadoes are too rare and too hard to predict for us to use them as an energy source.
Are there going to be anymore tornadoes in Perth in winter 2012?
That is impossible to predict. Tornadoes cannot be predicted in the long term. Lead times in forecasting tornadoes are measured in minutes, not months.
