Hurricanes and Tornados
The accessible studies highlights that although Hurricanes and Tornados are two different natural occurrences of diverse magnitude, both are damaging windstorm characterized with regrettable impact on human lives and resources. Environmental experts have described hurricane as a huge air mass that can be more than 1000 miles while tornado is a seldom occurrences that is one mile across. Despite understanding the trends and the impacts of these two phenomena, global societies and most specifically international environmental experts have taken imperceptible measures to avert their outcome.
Based on my understanding, tornado is a rapidly spinning of air that emerges because of a thunderstorm on the ground. The main features of tornado include a rapid rise of air, change of wind speed, and continuous-intensive thunderstorms. Continuous thunderstorms essentially result to upward building of water (NatGeo 1). The rise in the water level is what leads to increased level of rainfall in the affected areas. Moreover, the change in wind direction and speed causes the rising air to spin thus advancing the intensity of tornado. However, some ocean thunderstorm does not result to tornado. In most cases, the spinning of the air do not balance with the air that rises from the water surface. In some instances, the balance between the air that is rising from the surface and the spinning air causes tornado. Based on the amount and the speed of air, tornado can be either strong or weak and can last for few minutes or a substantial amount of time. Furthermore, tornado lasts for minutes, it cause intensive damage, have wind that ranges from 65 to 300mph and the magnitude of tornado depends on large storms.
On the other hand, scholars describe hurricane as a huge and organised thunderstorm that emerges from an ocean. Some of the main features of the hurricane include the low pressure, warm ocean waters, and weak upper level wind. Just like tornado, hurricane can have severe impacts on an individual’s health and properties. The warm water in the ocean is essential in supplying moisture that ignites hurricane. Conversely, the weak upper levels wind protects the developing hurricane from tearing apart (NSSL 3). The low pressure helps in the development of a thunderstorm that fuels a hurricane. The hurricane thunderstorms are largely influenced by days of earth’s rotation and revolutions. Consequently, the earth’s rotation allows thunderstorms to develop into an organised circulation where they rotate around a central location known as the eye. However, hurricane is only strong when it is on the ocean and weakens as it progresses to the earth. Similar to tornado, hurricane rotates counter clockwise into the Northern hemisphere and clockwise into the Southern hemisphere. Moreover, the hurricane forms over warm water, last for few days, produce destructive rain and flooding, it is independent, and has a wind that ranges from 74 to 200mph.
Hurricane and tornado are some of the renowned ocean natural phenomena that have radical impacts on resources and environment. Therefore, to counter the instantaneous and long-term impacts of both hurricane and tornado, the relevant authority and environmental experts have the responsibility of taking immediate and appropriate mitigation measures. Particularly, experts should focus on establish effective predictive mechanisms to enhance preparedness which would minimize the destructive effective of these occurrences. In essence, installing reliable detective devices is critical in addressing the impacts of these natural phenomena.
Work Cited
NatGeo Green. Tornadoes. National Geographic Society (2013). Web: http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/tornado-profile/
NSSL. Severe Weather 101. National Severe Storms Laboratory (2012). Web: http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/tornadoes/
