by APOD Robot » Tue Jun 18, 2013 4:18 am
A Supercell Thunderstorm Over Texas
Explanation: Is that a cloud or an alien spaceship? It's an unusual and sometimes dangerous type of thunderstorm cloud called a
supercell. Supercells may spawn damaging
tornados,
hail,
downbursts of air, or
drenching rain. Or they may just
look impressive. A
supercell harbors a
mesocylcone -- a rising column of air surrounded by drafts of falling air.
Supercells could occur over many places on Earth but are particularly common in
Tornado Alley of the USA.
Pictured above are four time lapse sequences of a
supercell rotating above and moving across
Booker,
Texas. Captured in the video are new clouds forming near the
storm center,
dust swirling on the ground,
lightning flashing in the upper clouds, all while the impressively
sculptured complex rotates ominously. Finally, after a few hours, as shown in the final sequence, dense rain falls as the storm begins to die out.
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[url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130618.html][img]http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_130618.jpg[/img] [size=150]A Supercell Thunderstorm Over Texas[/size][/url]
[b] Explanation: [/b] Is that a cloud or an alien spaceship? It's an unusual and sometimes dangerous type of thunderstorm cloud called a [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercell]supercell[/url]. Supercells may spawn damaging [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCI1u05KD_s]tornados[/url], [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xG_orGqMKV8]hail[/url], [url=http://www.erh.noaa.gov/cae/svrwx/downburst.htm]downbursts[/url] of air, or [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aIcoLn_A6M]drenching rain[/url]. Or they may just [i] look [/i] impressive. A [url=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Supercell.svg]supercell[/url] harbors a [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesocyclone]mesocylcone[/url] -- a rising column of air surrounded by drafts of falling air. [url=http://www.spc.noaa.gov/misc/AbtDerechos/supercells.htm]Supercells[/url] could occur over many places on Earth but are particularly common in [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tornado_Alley]Tornado Alley[/url] of the USA. [url=http://vimeo.com/67995158]Pictured above[/url] are four time lapse sequences of a [url=http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lmk/soo/docu/supercell.php]supercell[/url] rotating above and moving across [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booker,_Texas]Booker[/url], [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas]Texas[/url]. Captured in the video are new clouds forming near the [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130505.html]storm center[/url], [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap050426.html]dust swirling[/url] on the ground, [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120723.html]lightning flashing[/url] in the upper clouds, all while the impressively [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap001123.html]sculptured complex rotates[/url] ominously. Finally, after a few hours, as shown in the final sequence, dense rain falls as the storm begins to die out.
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