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Why can't scientists get exact measurements of wind speeds inside tornadoes?
Wiki User
∙ 7y ago
They can, it's just difficult. The only way to get an exact measurement of the wind speed you actually have to get a probe inside of the tornado. Such a task requires driving out in front of a tornado, dropping the probe, and getting out before the tornado hits. In many cases the probe is not in exactly the right place, and tornado misses, if there is an opportunity to place the probe at all.
It is possible to get an approximate measurement of a tornado's wind speed by positioning a mobile Doppler radar near it. Such units are limited, however, as they can only measure the component of the wind velocity that is directly toward or away from the radar and cannot measure winds at ground level. Doppler radars are also expensive, so relatively few of them exist. On top of these limits, the radar still has to be in the right place at the right time, which is also hard to do.
As a result, the vast majority of tornadoes go without their wind speeds being measured.
Wiki User
∙ 7y ago
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What is the relationship between air pressure and tornadoes?
The air pressure inside a tornado is very low. This allows the tornado to draw air inward at high speeds.
How fast does an F5 tornado move?
There is no given forward speed for a tornado of any rating. Like most tornadoes, an F5 can be anywhere from stationary to moving at 70 mph. Wind speeds inside an EF5 tornado (essentially the same rating with corrected wind speeds) are in excess of 200 mph.
What equipment use to measure how fast and how strong a tornado is?
Doppler radar is the primary piece of equipment used to measure wind speed in. on rare occasions probes (sometimes including an anemometer) have been deployed in the paths of tornadoes, though only a few measurements have been taken this way. Most tornadoes never have a direct measurement taken and instead their wind speeds are estimated by analyzing damage. To date direct wind measurements are not used for assigning ratings on the Enhance Fujita Scale.
What is the limit of the winds of a tornado?
There is no known exact upper limit to tornadic wind speeds. The fastest wind speed ever recorded in a tornado was a gust to 302 mph about 100 feet off the ground. However, wind measurements in tornadoes are fairly rare, so other tornadoes likely had faster winds. The upper limit is probably somewhere between 300 and 350 mph.
Do tornadoes seldom move at speeds greater than 40 miles an hour?
It depends on the region and the season. In the winter in the southern U.S. it is not uncommon to see tornadoes moving at over 40 mph. Overall, tornadoes usually travel between 25 and 40 mph.
How is science used to understand tornadoes?
Tornado studies now currently involve trying to examine the tornado with scientific instruments. Chief among them is Doppler radar, which can analyze wind speeds in a storm from a distance. Other work has involved trying to take measurements directly from inside the funnel using probes placed in the path. Other scientists have built computer models to try to understand tornado dynamics. Analysis has also been done on patterns in damage and debris in tornadoes.
Are their tornadoes on Venus?
As far as we cal tell, there are no tornadoes on Venus. There are certainly high wind speeds, at higher altitudes, but no tornadoes.
What is tornadoes most destructive features?
their wind speeds
What is the relationship between air pressure and tornadoes?
The air pressure inside a tornado is very low. This allows the tornado to draw air inward at high speeds.
How strong do tornadoes get?
They can have wind speeds up to about 318 mph.
How come people are scared of tornadoes?
Tornadoes are very dangerouswith there wind speeds and they can kill people in a snap of a finger.
Which form of severe weather has the greatest wind speeds?
Tornadoes, in general.
Do tornadoes have the fastest wind speeds?
The strongest tornadoes do, yes. In some cases tornadoes can produce winds over 300 mph. No other storm on earth can match that.
Do tornadoes destory things?
yes destructively by their high rotating wind speeds
Which is faster a hurricane or tornado?
In many cases the wind speeds of hurricanes and tornadoes fall into the same range, but tornadoes tend to have faster winds.
What are the speeds of F0 tornadoes?
40-72MPH 65 to 85mph on the enhanced fujita scale
Tornadoes can form when wind at different blows in different directions and at different speeds?
That itself does not cause tornadoes, but a similar phenomenon is a factor in tornado formation. When wind at different altitudes blows in different speeds and directions, the air in between and start to roll horizontally. This is called wind shear. Again, wind shear alone cannot produce a tornado, but it is an important factor in how tornadoes form.
