什么是陸地龍卷風?
There are several types of well-known tornadoes — waterspouts, snowspouts and supercell tornadoes come to mind — but the landspout is unique because it borders the line between a full-blown tornado and a dust devil.
眾所周知,龍卷風有幾種類型——水龍卷風、雪龍卷風和超級單體龍卷風——但陸地龍卷風是獨一無二的,因為它位于全面爆發(fā)的龍卷風和塵暴之間。
A meteorologist named Howard B. Bluestein dubbed these twisters landspouts in 1985.
1985年,一位名叫霍華德·B·布魯斯坦的氣象學家將這些龍卷風命名為“陸地龍卷風”。
Their formation and overall look resemble a waterspout, except that they form on land or on a surface where winds are converging.
它們的形成和整體上看起來像一個水柱,除了它們是在陸地上或風匯聚的地方形成的。
These types of tornadoes have flat bases and a fluffy, cotton-like appearance. They ofter appear thin and rope-like.
這些類型的龍卷風有扁平的底座和蓬松的棉花狀外觀,它們常常顯得又瘦又像繩子。
Unlike a tornado formed by supercell thunderstorms, a landspout can form without any signs of a thunderstorm. Even more interesting, not all landspouts are visible.
與超級單體雷暴形成的龍卷風不同,陸地龍卷風可以在沒有任何雷暴跡象的情況下形成,更有趣的是,并不是所有的陸地龍卷風都是可見的。
Another simple way to explain how a landspout differs from a normal tornado: landspouts are formed from the bottom up in an updraft, whereas normal tornadoes funnel from the sky down to the surface.
另一種簡單的方法來解釋陸地龍卷風和普通龍卷風的不同之處:在上升氣流中,陸地龍卷風從底部向上形成,而普通龍卷風則從天空向下進入地表。
Landspouts tend to last 15 minutes or less. They can cause damage but their winds aren't nearly as powerful as those of a supercell tornado.
陸地龍卷風一般持續(xù)15分鐘或更短。它們可以造成破壞,但它們的風力遠不如超級單體龍卷風那么強勁。
They are particularly hard to forecast, as Doppler weather radar can't detect them.
它們尤其難以預測,因為多普勒天氣雷達無法探測到它們。
You're most likely to experience a landspout in the spring or summer months, but they can occur in any month.
你最有可能在春季或夏季經(jīng)歷一次陸地龍卷風,但它們其實可以發(fā)生在任何月份。
The National Weather Service will often refer to this type of tornado as a "dust tube tornado."
美國國家氣象局經(jīng)常將這種龍卷風稱為“沙塵管龍卷風”。
If you ever encounter one, be sure to stay away from windows. While they aren't quite as powerful as a normal tornado, their winds can shatter windows or damage possessions.
如果你遇到這種情況,一定要遠離窗戶,雖然它們不像普通龍卷風那么強大,但它們的風力可以震碎窗戶或損壞財物。