Tornado and Hurricane Webquest

Severe Weather Web Quest

Name ______Period ______Due Date ______Earth Science

TORNADOES

Click on the website: http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/forces-of- nature/

Once you get to this site, click on the “Tornadoes” icon. Be sure the number “1” is dark gray then read the information in the gray box about tornadoes.

1. What is a tornado? ______

2. Which state has the most twisters per year? ______

How many occur per year? ______

Click on the #2. Read the information in the gray box, and answer the following questions.

3. What are supercells? ______

4. Where do most tornadoes in America occur? ______

5. Why do most tornadoes occur in the late afternoon? ______

Click on the “Next” button to zoom in to see a tornado.

6. When do tornadoes form? ______

7. What is an updraft? ______

8. Why would it start to rotate? ______

9. Before the storm turns into a tornado, what type of cloud does it become? ______

Click on the #3. Read the information in the gray box, and answer the following questions.

10. What kind of weather accompanies tornadoes? ______

Click on “see tornado damage at the bottom of the text.

11. How does the Fujita scale measure tornado intensity? ______Move around the Fujita scale to see the effects tornadoes of different intensities have.

Click on the #4 to see a video of a tornado passing.

Click on the #5 to answer the following question. You will have to scroll down to answer the next question.

12. What is the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning? ______

Click on #6 to make a tornado.

13. What conditions are perfect for making a tornado? ______

HURRICANES

Now, you are moving on to “hurricanes.” Click on the hurricane symbol above the numbers, and begin.

1. How many mph must winds be going in order for a tropical storm to be a hurricane? ______

2. Where do hurricanes form? ______

3. Where do cyclones form? ______

4. Where do typhoons form? ______

Click on #2, and read the information. Click the “next” button when you are done.

5. Does the eye of the hurricane have HIGH or LOW pressure? ______

6. Where are the most violent winds in the hurricane? ______

Click on the #3.

7. In the northern hemisphere, hurricanes always turn how? ______

8. In the southern hemisphere, they always turn how? ______

Play with the image of the hurricane to see a 3-D image.

Click on the #4.

9. All of the rain from hurricanes can cause what to occur? ______

10. What is a storm surge? ______

Click on the #5. Read the information, and watch the video. Click on the #6.

11. What is the difference between a hurricane watch and a hurricane warning? ______

Click on the #7.

Create 5 hurricanes.

12. Which category creates the most damage? ______

What factors? ______

Which location? ______

13. Which category creates the least damage? ______

What factors? ______

Which location? ______

THUNDERSTORMS Go to http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/tstorms/ingredient.htm

1. List the 3 ingredients necessary for a thunderstorm. ______

______

2. Where are the 2 moisture sources for thunderstorms in the Southeastern United States? ______

Click on “Life cycle of a Thunderstorm”

3. The thunderstorm cell has a distinct life-cycle that lasts about ______minutes.

4. What are the three stages in the life cycle of a thunderstorm?

1.______2. ______3. ______

5. Which is the most dangerous stage when hail, tornadoes, damaging winds and flash flooding may occur?

______

Click on “Types of Thunderstorms”

6. What is a squall line? ______7. What type of thunderstorms are responsible for nearly all of the significant tornadoes in the U.S.? ______

Click on Next: Thunderstorm Hazards: Hail

8. Which states have the most hail storms? ______

9. What are four potential hazards of thunderstorms? ______

10. In a typical year, how many tornadoes will strike the U.S.? ______

Watch the short video of the train meeting the tornado. (Thunderstorms Hazards – Tornadoes Page)

11. What is the saying you should think about when coming to a flooded roadway? ______

BLIZZARDS Go to http://www.ussartf.org/blizzards.htm

1. How does the National Weather Service define a blizzard? ______

2. The amount of cooling one “feels” due to the combination of wind and temperature is the______

3. List four dangers of blizzards. ______

4. What do we call a blizzard that moves up the east coast from the Mid-Atlantic to New England? ______

Read about how to stay safe in your home or vehicle during a winter storm.

Scroll down to “Keep Ahead of the Storm”

5. What does it mean if each of the following is issued?

Winter Storm Watch - ______

Winter Storm Warning- ______