Weather term of the day. 4-20-15 MESOCYCLONE · 6:14pm Apr 20th, 2015
A mesocyclone is a vortex of air within a convective storm.[1] It is air that rises and rotates around a vertical axis, usually in the same direction as low pressure systems in a given hemisphere. They are most often cyclonic, that is, associated with a localized low-pressure region within a severe thunderstorm. Such thunderstorms can feature strong surface winds and severe hail. Mesocyclones often occur together with updrafts in supercells, within which tornadoes may form at the interchange with certain downdrafts.
Mesocyclones are localized, approximately 2 km (1.2 mi) to 10 km (6.2 mi) in diameter within strong thunderstorms.[1] Thunderstorms containing persistent mesocyclones are supercell thunderstorms. Mesocyclones occur on the "mesoscale", a more general term used in meteorology to denote organization on scales from a few up to hundreds of kilometers. Doppler radar is used to identify mesocyclones. A mesovortex is a similar but typically smaller and weaker rotational feature associated with squall lines
THESE CLOUDS ARE ALSO KNOWN AS " MOTHERSHIPS" DUE TO THE PICTURE ABOVE.
This is a picture I got last may in Nebraska with reed timmer.
Cool.
Awesome powers.
3000375
I get to observe them almost every day.
I chase storms.
3000387
That is some wild turkey. Is it everything Hollywood has shown us?
3000394 HELL NO!
I don't risk my life to get as close as possible.
( even though I have to stay away from the storms because of the DOW's radar dish)
if I had an armored car then yes I would get close.
also, we don't die.
it also isn't easy enough to know exactly where the tornado is going to be.
3000404
Ha, yeah I imagine. Twister used to be one of my favourite movies back in the '90s. I bet you hear that a lot though.
I have a friend who works as a seismologist, but he doesn't chase earthquakes as much as science conferences. I sometimes joke with him how his life has the potential to turn into a major Hollywood disaster movie at any moment.