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Thunderstorms

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Climatology

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Science ((EESS))

A thunderstorm is a deep convective cloud (cumulonimbus) that produces lightning (and thunder), heavy rain, strong surface outflow of cool air, hail and, on rare occasions, a tornado. A characteristic feature of the thunderstorm, viewed from a distance, is its cylindrical or slightly hour-glass shape capped by an anvil-shaped top; the anvil is caused by air diverging from the upper portions of the storm's updraft.

The vertical extent of thunderstorms varies from one climatological region to another. In moist regions, cloud base can be several hundred m above the ground, whereas in more arid regions cloud base can be at a height of several km. Storm tops typically vary from 10 to 18 km above the ground. Within a given region, the taller the storm, the stronger is the updraft and the more severe is the surface weather associated with it.

Formation Mechanisms

A thunderstorm can be thought of as a thermodynamic machine driven by the release of latent heat of condensation (moist air...

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References

  • Byers, H. R., and R. R., Braham, Jr., 1949. The Thunderstorm. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. (Available from National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Va. 22151, Order No. PB234515.)

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  • Ludlam, F.H., 1980. Clouds and Storms. University Park, Pa.: Pennsylvania State University Press.

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Authors
  1. Rodger A. Brown
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© 1987 Van Nostrand Reinhold

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Brown, R.A. (1987). Thunderstorms. In: Climatology. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30749-4_179

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30749-4_179

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-87933-009-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-30749-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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