I know that (simplified) tornadoes form horizontally in a supercell due to opposing winds meeting, and it becomes a tornado when the rotating air goes vertical, but what sustains that rotation once the tornado is on the ground?
And then, once it’s on the ground, what causes it to eventually stop?
In: 1
You are right, they start as what is called a mesocyclone which is horizontal, but then tip up to vertical. What keeps them going is that the upper level winds are still spinning, which then twists down into the vertical part. However, winds are notoriously chaotic, and if they end up disrupted in the upper level for whatever reason, the bottom part just sort of falls apart.
Source: am NOT a meteorologist, but that is my understanding. Anybody more qualified please feel free to come in and educate us both 😉
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