Credit & Copyright: Joey Mole
Explanation:
What's happening over the water?
Pictured above is one of the better images yet recorded of a
waterspout,
a type of tornado that occurs over water.
Waterspouts are spinning columns of rising moist air that
typically form over warm water.
Waterspouts can be as dangerous as
tornadoes
and can feature wind speeds over 200 kilometers per hour.
Some waterspouts form away from thunderstorms and even during relatively fair weather.
Waterspouts
may be relatively transparent and initially
visible only by an unusual pattern they create on the water.
The above image was taken earlier this month near
Tampa Bay,
Florida.
The Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida is arguably the most active area in
the world for waterspouts, with hundreds forming
each year.
Some people
speculate that waterspouts
are responsible for some of the losses recorded in the
Bermuda Triangle.
January February March April May June July August September October November December |
|
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: tornado
Publications with words: tornado
See also: