Forces of Nature: Tornadoes & Hurricanes

_____________________________

Name:

For this activity, you will be visiting the following link and answering questions as you go
along. http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/forcesof-nature/
The picture below is a screen shot of the activity; you will navigate by using the numbers
in the top left hand corner. In order to answer all the questions, you will need to read
and click through all of the information.
Tornadoes

Part 1. What is a tornado?

1. What is a tornado?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_____
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________
Part 2. What causes tornadoes?
1. What is a supercell?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
____
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________

2. When does tornado season occur?

______________________________________________________________________________
3. What time of day do tornadoes normally form? Why?
_______________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
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4. Tornadoes form when _______________________ , _______________________ air collides with
_______________________ ,
_______________________ air.
5. The ________________________ cold air is pushed over the warm air, usually producing
thunderstorms. The
warm air ________________________ through the colder air, causing an _____________________
.
6. Updrafts will begin to ______________________ is winds _________________
______________________ in speed or
direction.
Part 3. Characteristics of Tornadoes
1. List 3 things that accompany (can happen with) tornadoes:
_________________________________________ , _______________________________________ ,
_____________________________________
2. The average twister is about ______________ feet wide and moves about
________________ miles an hour.
Part 4. What Damage Do Tornadoes Do?
1. What is the cause of the most damage during a tornado?
_____________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________
Part 5. How are Tornadoes Forecasted?
1. ________________________ ____________________ record wind speeds and identify areas of
rotation within

thunderstorms.
2. What is the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning?
__________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________
Part 6. Create a Tornado
1. What conditions create a tornado?
Air Mass 1: ____________________________________________
___________________________________________

Air Mass 2:

Pressure: ______________________________________________
_______________________________________________

Winds:

2. Record your tornado data.

Fujita scale rating: ___________________________________
______________________________________________
Wind Speed: __________________________________________
Hurricanes

Part 1. What is a Hurricane?

Damage:

1. What is a hurricane?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
___
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________
2. Names of these storms depend upon where they form. Next to the storm type, write
where it forms.
Hurricanes: ______________________________________________________________
Cyclones: ________________________________________________________________
Typhoons: _______________________________________________________________
Part 2. What Causes a Hurricane?
1. Tropical disturbances take ________________________ from the warm waters to grow into
________________________ ________________________________. Tropical disturbances
2. What are 2 characteristics of tropical depressions?
___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________
3. _______________________ grows as the depression moves across the ocean. If its
____________________
______________________________ center intensifies and winds move more than
________________ miles per hour, it
becomes a ___________________________ _________________________.
4. Once a tropical storms winds hit a constant speed of ____________ miles per hour, it
becomes a
_______________________________________.
5. Describe the 3 main parts of a hurricane.
Eye:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________
Eye Wall:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________

Feeder Bands:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
______________
Part 3. Explore a Hurricane
Explore the 3-D model of a hurricane.
Part 4. Characteristics of a Hurricane
1. What are the effects of a hurricane, once it reaches land?
____________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________
2. What is a storm surge?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________
3. Hurricanes are measured by the Saffir-Simpson hurricane damage potential scale,
which is determined by wind speed. For each category, describe the wind speed, storm
surge, and damage.
Characteristi
c
Winds

Category 1

Category 2

Storm Surge

Damage

Part 5. What are the Effects of Hurricanes?

Category 3

Category 4

Category 5

1. What three things cause the most widespread destruction during a hurricane?
___________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________
2. Which effect is the most destructive and deadly? _____________________________
Part 6. Hurricane Prediction
1. What three tools do forecasters use to track and predict hurricanes?
_______________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________
2. What measurements do hurricane hunters take when flying into the hurricane?
_______________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________
Part 7. Create a Hurricane
1. Record your starting point: ___________________
2. What conditions create a hurricane?
Ocean Temperature: ___________________________
___________________________

Humidity:

Pressure: ___________________________
3. Record your hurricane data.
Intensity at Landfall: ___________________________
___________________________
Danger: ___________________________

Top Speeds: