Storms

There are many different kinds of storms, however all have a few things in common. All storms are driven by thermal energy from the sun. When air is heated up it rises in the atmosphere, due to the pressure change. As it rises water vapor condenses out, releasing latent heat. This heat drives the storm. As the air is brought higher it cools and begins to sink back down to the ground, where it is heated again. This creates a convection cell that can turn into a thunderstorm with precipitation as condensed water forms droplets heavy enough to form.

The Coriolis force, pressure gradient force, and friction are the three most important forces acting on a parcel of air in a storm, or any weather situation.

This diagram illustrates how these three forces guide the path of an air parcel in a low pressure system. In a high pressure system the forces are the same but opposite, causing air to blow in a clockwise direction instead.

NEWTON’S LAWS THERMODYNAMICS FORCES IN THE ATMOSPHERE CORIOLIS FORCE STORMS THE DEMONSTRATION HOME

Ó 2004 by Marisa Demers