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Tornado Dimensions
Name: J. F. W.
Status: educator
Age: 40s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 9/22/2004
Question:
How large is the eye of the tornado? How small is the
base and the top. I realize that depends on the size of the tornado, but
what is the average size of the eye?
Replies:
J. F. W.,
Tornados range in size from several feet across to
as much as a half mile. Many tornados, especially
the larger ones, are nearly a cylinder and do not
change much in diameter with height. Small,
young or old tornados can be more conical as support
for the base of the tornado is weaker. Some even
become "rope-like" as they are dying, with the tornado
bending as a result of different wind speeds at different
heights.
The "eye" of the tornado is not much smaller than the
tornado vortex (the rotating air) itself. There really
is no easy way to say what the average diameter of the
eye or the vortex is, since they can range in size so
drastically. But an average tornado may be about 200
feet in diameter. What you see on the outside of
the tornado is the debris (dust, plants, building parts,
etc.) that are being thrown around by the vortex, making
the tornado look wider than the vortex really is.
David R. Cook
Atmospheric Research Section
Environmental Research Division
Argonne National Laboratory
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Update: June 2012
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