mesocyclone

listen to the pronunciation of mesocyclone
English - English
an area of vertical atmospheric rotation in supercell thunderstorms, which signals the threat of a possible tornado
A rotating, upward moving column of air in a thunderstorm that can spawn tornadoes
The cyclonic, rotating part of a large thunderstorm Tornados are usually formed in association with the mesocyclone
A region of rotation up to six miles in diameter within a thunderstorm
A storm-scale region of rotation, typically around 2-6 miles in diameter and often found in the right rear flank of a supercell (or often on the eastern, or front, flank of an HP storm) The circulation of a mesocyclone covers an area much larger than the tornado that may develop within it Properly used, mesocyclone is a radar term; it is defined as a rotation signature appearing on Doppler radar that meets specific criteria for magnitude, vertical depth, and duration Therefore, a mesocyclone should not be considered a visually-observable phenomenon (although visual evidence of rotation, such as curved inflow bands, may imply the presence of a mesocyclone)
the column of storm winds stretching upward and downward through the storm clouds, and from which the tornado funnels drop
A area of rotation of storm size that may often be found on the southwest part of a supercell Its circulation can be larger than the tornado that may develop within it, but not necessarily Originally a radar term for a rotation signature that met certain criteria, it is best seen on Doppler radar
A area of rotation of storm size that may be found on the southwest part of a supercell Its circulation is much larger than the tornado that may develop within it Originally a radar term for a rotation signature that met certain criteria, it is best seen on Doppler radar
The rotating updraft in a supercell thunderstorm
A rotating column of air in a thunderstorm that sometimes spawns tornadoes
A storm-scale region of rotation often found in the right rear flank of a supercell (or often on the eastern flank or front flank of an HP storm) The circulation of a mesocyclone covers an area much larger than the tornado that may develop within it
A rotating column of air within a thunderstorm that can produce a tornado Back