Journal article
Empirical estimates of kinetic energy from some recent US tornadoes
Geophysical research letters, Vol.41(12), pp.4340-4346
09/2014
Web of Science ID: WOS:000340294300031
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Abstract
Data from some recent tornado damage assessments are used to compute the percentage of damage path area by enhanced Fujita (EF) rating and to estimate kinetic energy. Only a small fraction of the damage area gets the highest damage rating, and this fraction is lower than a model used by the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. However, estimates of kinetic energy derived from a characteristic wind speed for each EF rating and the fraction of area with that rating match kinetic energy estimates using the model percentages. On average, the higher the EF rating, the larger the kinetic energy, but there is large variability in the relationship. The average total kinetic energy over the EF1 tornadoes examined in the study is 0.61 TJ, which compares with an average of 2.37 TJ, 40.1 TJ, 36.5 TJ, and 50.4 TJ for the EF2, EF3, EF4, and EF5 tornadoes, respectively. The most energetic tornado examined had a maximum damage rating of EF3.
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Details
- Title
- Empirical estimates of kinetic energy from some recent US tornadoes
- Publication Details
- Geophysical research letters, Vol.41(12), pp.4340-4346
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- American Geophysical Union
- Number of pages
- 7
- Grant note
- Department of Geography at Florida State University
- Copyright
- ©2014. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.
- Identifiers
- WOS:000340294300031; 99381529972806600
- Academic Unit
- Earth and Environmental Sciences; Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering
- Language
- English