Name: Aira Clair T.

Alcano Grade: 11-Rectitude

Answer the following questions.

1. What causes thunderstorms?
-When warm, moist air rises and condenses to form cold air The warm air cools, causing
moisture, also known as water vapor, to condense and form small water droplets - a
process known as condensation - in the air. After cooling, the air descends lower in the
atmosphere, where it warms and rises again. A convection cell is a name given to this
circuit of rising and falling air. A cloud will form if this occurs in a small enough amount. A
thunderstorm can form if this occurs in conjunction with large amounts of air and
moisture. Lift comes from differences in air density. It pushes unstable air upward,
creating a tall thunderstorm

2. How do meteorologists forecast thunderstorms?

-Thunderstorms can be observed using a variety of tools. Weather satellites can see most
of the Earth. Satellites take pictures of Earth from space at regular intervals, revealing the
location of clouds. Meteorologists examine these images over time for signs of rapidly
growing clouds, which could indicate the presence of a thunderstorm. Satellites can also
tell us about the temperature of the clouds. Clouds with cold tops are typically very high
in the atmosphere, implying that the cloud is tall enough to be a thunderstorm.
Meteorologists also monitor how these clouds move in order to predict which areas will
be affected by the storm next. Meteorologists rely on weather radars because they can
detect rain and severe weather even when conditions are cloudy or dark. Doppler radar
emits electromagnetic wave fields that can be reflected back to the radar by airborne
objects such as precipitation. The amount of energy reflected back can tell us how heavy
the rain is or if there is hail. Doppler radar can also show us how the wind is blowing close
to and within the storm. This is useful in determining what types of hazards (tornado,
microburst, gust fronts, etc.) may be associated with the thunderstorm. It also assists us
in understanding how the thunderstorm feeds itself.
 3. Can thunderstorms occur without lightning?
-No, thunder cannot exist in the absence of lightning. When a large current causes rapid
heating, thunder begins as a shockwave from the explosively expanding lightning channel. It
is possible, however, that you saw lightning but did not hear thunder because it was too far
away. Because it occurs most frequently in the summer, this is sometimes referred to as "heat
lightning." Lightning is a massive spark of electricity that occurs in the atmosphere between
clouds, air, or the ground. Air acts as an insulator between the positive and negative charges
in the cloud, as well as between the cloud and the ground, during the early stages of
development. When the opposite charges become sufficiently strong, the insulating capacity
of the air fails, resulting in a rapid discharge of electricity known as lightning. (The actual
breakdown process is still unknown.) Ions and free electrons are produced during the
breakdown of the air, and they travel down the conducting channel. This current flow
temporarily equalizes the charged regions of the atmosphere until the opposite charges re-
emerge.

4. How long can thunderstorms last?

-Thunderstorms go through three stages in their life cycle: developing, maturing, and
dissipating. A cumulus cloud is pushed upward by a rising column of air during the
developing stage of a thunderstorm (updraft). As the updraft develops, the cumulus cloud
begins to resemble a tower (referred to as towering cumulus). During this stage, there is
little to no rain, but there is some lightning. When the updraft continues to feed the
storm, but precipitation begins to fall out of the storm, creating a downdraft, the
thunderstorm enters the mature stage (a column of air pushing downward). A gust front,
or a line of gusty winds, forms when downdraft and rain-cooled air spreads out along the
ground. Hail, heavy rain, frequent lightning, strong winds, and tornadoes are most likely
during the mature stage. When a large amount of precipitation is produced, the updraft
is overcome by the downdraft, and the dissipating stage begins. At the ground, the gust
front moves far away from the storm, cutting off the warm moist air that was feeding it.
The intensity of the rain decreases, but lightning remains a threat. A typical thunderstorm
has a diameter of 15 miles and lasts about 30 minutes. Thunderstorms occur in all 50
states, and every thunderstorm contains lightning. Thunderstorms can form singly, in
groups, or in lines.
5. How much rain can fall from a thunderstorm?

-In other words, how much rain do I expect to receive when a large storm passes over my house?
Assume your house is on a half-acre lot. Let's say you get a storm with 1 inch of rain. You just got
13,577 gallons of water in your yard. A large bath holds about 40 gallons of water, so if you could
save that inch of rain, you could take a bath every day for 339 days! Let's take it a step further and
make it a city. Atlanta, Georgia has corporate boundaries that encompass approximately 84,100
acres (U.S. Census Bureau). A 1-inch rainstorm deposits 27,154 gallons on one acre, so Atlanta
receives 2.28 billion gallons of water during this storm. Many homeowners are installing "rain
barrels" around their homes to collect rainfall runoff in this water-saving era. Essentially, this is a
large bucket that collects water that falls from the roof and runs down the gutters and
downspouts. After that, the water is used to water gardens and plants. Can you get enough water
out of the gutter to justify the effort? The answer is unequivocally "yes." A typical outdoor trash
can has a capacity of 32 gallons. If you capture the runoff from a storm that only produces 1/10th
of an inch of rain onto a 20 by 30 foot roof, you will end up with a full 32-gallon container of water,
with 5 gallons left over.

6. How can thunderstorms affect humans?

-Thunderstorms, no matter how small in size, are extremely dangerous. The lightning that
occurs during every thunderstorm claims the lives of more people each year than
tornadoes. Flash flooding can occur as a result of heavy rain from thunderstorms.
Thunderstorms can also bring with them the threat of strong winds, hail, and tornadoes,
among other things. It is not surprising that thunderstorms are dramatic events that often
elicit strong emotional responses, ranging from excitement to fear in those who witness
them. Furthermore, for people suffering from chronic illnesses, intense emotions can
sometimes exacerbate physical symptoms. They have a cold, a cool, and sometimes even
a warm sensation. My face is turned to the sky, and I open and close my eyes, feeling the
vigorous tapping on my tongue and eyelids. It is a pleasant sensation. Thunderstorms are
Mother Nature's percussion instruments, and to hear them is to be immersed in them.
The theory is that the high winds produced by thunderstorms carry pollen grains to the
ground, where they then enter the lower part of your airway. Coughing, wheezing, chest
tightness, shortness of breath, and noisy or rapid breathing are all symptoms that can
occur as a result of this.