GEOG220 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Cumulus Cloud, Lightning
22 May 2016
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Document Summary
The majority of sever weather is caused by thunderstorms. There are more thunderstorms in the tropics than anywhere else in the world. Due to less dense and more warm, moist air. In the midlatitudes, the most thunderstorms occur in the southeast u. s. a. This is due to the gulf of mexico. Florida has the most thunderstorms for anywhere in the u. s. a. Colorado has a large amount of thunderstorms compared to the areas around them. Oregon sees only about 10 thunderstorms per year (florida averages 100) Nj/delaware see about 30 thunderstorms per year. All thunderstorms start with a cumulus cloud. The mature stage of a thunderstorm is generally the most interesting due to updrafts occurring with downdrafts. The dissipating stage involves strictly downdrafts, which can cause intense wind damage. Usually takes less than an hour for a thunderstorm to grow and die out from its cumulus stage (first stage) to its dissipating stage.
