Tornado Quiz: Answer Key

Correct answers are highlighted in bold.

TwisterLand
Tornado Alley
Midwest
High Plains

2. A sandwich of warmer air helps tornadoes form. This "sandwich" is called:

A hat.
A Temperature Slice.
An Inversion.
Warm Front

3. The major source of energy for thunderstorms is:

Strong Winds.
Heat discharge from lightning.
Ether waves.
Latent heat.

4. The large, powerful thunderstorms that are best at creating strong tornadoes are called: 

Supercells.
Mega-cyclones.
Cumulonimbus.
Stratus.

5. Tornadoes can occur at any time of day, but what part of the day are tornadoes most frequent? 

Midday.
Early Morning.
Afternoon/Evening.

6. We rank tornadoes using a damage scale called the: 

Hall/Evans Scheme.
Berridge Scale.
Fujita Scale.
Barney System.

7. An F-5 tornado creates the strongest winds on earth. These wind speeds are above: 

150 MPH.
260 MPH.
350 MPH.
Warp Seven.

8. A tornado becomes a tornado when it touches the ground. Until then, the spinning winds are called: 

A funnel cloud.
Pre-tornadic spout.
Vorticity.
Water Spout.

9. Thunderstorms sometimes help bring strong upper level winds blasting to the earth. These winds are frequently mistaken for tornadoes because they can do just as much damage as medium-size tornadoes. These wind blasts are called:: 

A Jet Stream.
Santa Ana Winds.
Dust Devils.
Downbursts/Microbursts.

10. As a storm's air rushes upward, it interacts with air at various altitudes. This can cause the updraft to rotate, creating a:

Roll Cloud.
Mesocyclone.
Vortex.
Jet Stream.

11. Which releases the most energy: 

A large tornado.
A pair of large nuclear reactors.
A large thunderstorm.
A teenager who has eaten too much sugar.

12. Project VORTEX storm chasers are finding that some tornadoes form:.

When skies are clear.
When the skies turn green.
Much more rapidly than previously thought.
Much more slowly than previously thought.

13. Scientists working on a new satellite-based lightning detector got a surprise when they tested their experiment. The research seems to show that cloud-to-cloud flashes get most intense:

Just before a twister touches down.
While a tornado is on the ground.
Just before a twister falls apart.
When the last class bell rings at the end of the school day.

14. The National Weather Service issues a tornado watch when:

The tornado season begins.
Weather conditions make tornadoes likely.
A tornado is sighted or is detected on radar.
A tornado has fallen apart.

15. The National Weather Service issues a tornado warning when: 

The tornado season begins.
Weather conditions make tornadoes likely.
A tornado is sighted or is detected on radar.
A tornado has fallen apart.

16. During a tornado, the safest place in a house is: 

The basement.
The attic.
On the first floor, but under the kitchen table.
Forget the house, go to a shelter or a ditch!

17. During a tornado, the safest place in a mobile home is: 

Under the kitchen table.
Inside a closet with your hands over your head.
Lying flat on the floor in the center of any room.
Forget the mobile home, go to a shelter or a ditch!

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