![](/rp/kFAqShRrnkQMbH6NYLBYoJ3lq9s.png)
What is a waterspout? - NOAA's National Ocean Service
Jun 16, 2024 · Tornadic waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water, or move from land to water. They have the same characteristics as a land tornado. They are associated with severe thunderstorms, and are often accompanied by high winds and seas, large hail, and frequent dangerous lightning.
Tornado in a Bottle - Discover Your World - NOAA's National …
Fill one of the two-liter bottles about 2/3 full of water. Add three drops of dish soap and a couple of drops of food coloring to help make the vortex more visible. Screw the plastic connector onto the bottle containing the water, then attach the empty bottle to the open end of the connector.
Top Five: Weird Ocean Phenomena - NOAA's National Ocean Service
Tornadic waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water, or move from land to water. They are associated with severe thunderstorms and are often accompanied by high winds and seas, large hail, and dangerous lightning.
• Tornadoes can be up to one mile wide and may stay on the ground for more than 50 miles. • Tornados can occur at any time of the year and have occurred in every state in the country • More tornados strike the central United States than any other place in the world; which is why this area is nicknamed “tornado alley” The Dimmitt Tornado ,
What is an eddy? - NOAA's National Ocean Service
You may have seen an eddy if you've ever gone canoeing and you see a small whirlpool of water while you paddle through the water. The swirling motion of eddies in the ocean cause nutrients that are normally found in colder, deeper waters to come to the surface.
How do hurricanes form? - NOAA's National Ocean Service
Hurricanes form over the ocean, often beginning as a tropical wave—a low pressure area that moves through the moisture-rich tropics, possibly enhancing shower and thunderstorm activity.
What are El Nino and La Nina? - NOAA's National Ocean Service
During normal conditions in the Pacific ocean, trade winds blow west along the equator, taking warm water from South America towards Asia. To replace that warm water, cold water rises from the depths — a process called upwelling. El Niño and La Niña are two opposing climate patterns that break these normal conditions.
The Ekman Spiral - NOAA's National Ocean Service
As a result, each successively deeper layer of water moves more slowly to the right or left, creating a spiral effect. Because the deeper layers of water move more slowly than the shallower layers, they tend to “twist around” and flow opposite to the surface current.
What is a hydrothermal vent? - NOAA's National Ocean Service
Jun 16, 2024 · Hydrothermal vents are the result of seawater percolating down through fissures in the ocean crust in the vicinity of spreading centers or subduction zones (places on Earth where two tectonic plates move away or towards one another).
Oil and Chemical Spills - NOAA's National Ocean Service
Where is the spill likely to travel in the water? How is the local environment affected now — and how might it be affected down the road? What's the best way to clean up the spill?