Article
Article
Waterspout
Article By:
Last reviewed:December 2019
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.739900
An intense columnar vortex (not necessarily containing a funnel-shaped cloud) of small horizontal extent, over water. Typical visible vortex diameters are of the order of 33 ft (10 m), but a few large waterspouts may exceed 330 ft (100 m) across. In the case of Florida waterspouts, only rarely does the visible funnel extend from parent cloudbase to sea surface. Like the tornado, most of the visible funnel is condensate. Therefore, the extension of the funnel cloud downward depends upon the distribution of ambient water vapor, ambient temperature and pressure drop due to the vortex circulation strength.
The content above is only an excerpt.
About AccessScience
AccessScience provides the most accurate and trustworthy scientific information available.
Recognized as an award-winning gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is an amazing online resource that contains high-quality reference material written specifically for students. Contributors include more than 10,000 highly qualified scientists and 46 Nobel Prize winners.
MORE THAN 8700 articles covering all major scientific disciplines and encompassing the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology
115,000-PLUS definitions from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms
3000 biographies of notable scientific figures
MORE THAN 19,000 downloadable images and animations illustrating key topics
ENGAGING VIDEOS highlighting the life and work of award-winning scientists
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY and additional readings to guide students to deeper understanding and research
LINKS TO CITABLE LITERATURE help students expand their knowledge using primary sources of information
