What Makes a Tornado?

Nothing short of a hurricane can fascinate like a tornado. Every year, hundreds of people--from meteorologists and nature photographers to the merely curious--go storm-chasing across the countryside to measure, document, or simply witness tornadoes' awesome power. Often, the sight of a funnel cloud in the sky will send folks running for their cameras before running for the lives.

But how do these meteorological monsters form? What force can make a violently rotating column of rising air, with winds swirling up as fast as 318 miles per hour (512 km/h)? Scientists still aren't sure of every detail, but they do understand some of the basics.

Members, read this article now

Get it as an easy-print PDF