Author Question: On a hypothetical planet with physical and atmospheric characteristics similar to Earth, which ... (Read 78 times)

pane00 · **on:** Jul 14, 2018

On a hypothetical planet with physical and atmospheric characteristics similar to Earth, which location would be expected to have a higher incidence of tornadoes?

A) a mountainous continent bordering a warm ocean covering a wide range of latitudes
B) a flat continent bordering a cold ocean covering a wide range of latitudes
C) a flat continent bordering a warm ocean covering a wide range of latitudes
D) a mountainous continent bordering a cold ocean covering a wide range of latitudes

Question 2

What is the Enhanced Fujita scale? Into what category do most tornadoes fall?

What will be an ideal response?

gcook · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 14, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Answer: B

Answer to Question 2

Answer: The enhanced Fujita scale is a widely used system for ranking tornado intensity. Tornadoes fall into six levels of intensity, with each assigned a particular EF-value ranging from 0 to 5. Fujita values are determined by trained observers who assess a tornado's impact on any of 28 categories of natural objects or built structures (softwood trees, service station canopies, motels, small barns, single-wide mobile homes, and so on) called damage indicators. The observers then assign a numerical value to represent the degree of damage to each damage indicator. A certain minimum wind gust speed lasting 3 seconds or longer is then assumed to create any particular degree of damage to a damage indicator, and this is translated to an EF value. In the United States, the 69 of tornadoes fall into the weak category, which includes EF-0 and EF-1.