The central United States was hit by a rare tornado swarm, causing enormous damage and casualties. The tornado was unusual, massive and of unprecedented severity. A deeper understanding of the reasons behind this event will help us better understand why the United States is frequently hit by tornadoes.
Unusual tornado clusters
The tornado cluster was relatively small, but unusually violent. Unlike in the past, this tornado cluster occurred in the northern hemisphere in December, which is very meteorologically rare. Generally, tornadoes are more likely to appear in April-May, while strong convection and tornadoes in December are rare.
This tornado also lasted quite a long time, normally, a tornado traveled a distance of about 10-20 kilometers and lasted about 5-10 minutes, but this tornado lasted up to 3.5 hours and traveled a full 376 kilometers. This series of anomalies has attracted widespread attention.
Why is the United States frequently hit by tornadoes?
Tornadoes are extremely strong convective storms, usually formed in unstable air currents, and they can cause great damage with winds of up to 100-200 meters per second inside funnel-shaped vortex cloud columns. The United States is known as the "Land of Tornadoes", with an average of 1122 tornadoes per year, especially in the spring, which are numerous and violent.
The reason why the United States is frequently hit by tornadoes can be traced back to its geographical location. The United States is located between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered to the south by the Gulf of Mexico, which allows large amounts of water vapor to pour into the interior of the United States from multiple directions, resulting in frequent thunderstorm clouds. After these thunderstorm clouds accumulate, they are prone to the formation of tornadoes.
In addition, much of the United States is located in the mid-latitudes and is controlled by subtropical highs, especially in the spring and summer. Warm and humid air currents from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean flow from the west and south, causing frequent thunderstorm clouds in the Midwest, which provided the conditions for tornado formation.
Studies show that the number of tornadoes in the United States has increased 35-fold in the past 50 years. Although some meteorologists believe this is linked to global warming, more research is needed on the exact link between tornadoes and climate change. However, the increase in extreme weather events brought about by global warming poses enormous challenges to countries. In order to slow the pace of global warming, in addition to reducing emissions, a variety of trees is also crucial.
This tornado event has reminded us once again of the power of natural disasters and a reminder to work harder to protect the environment to reduce the negative effects of climate change.