Tornadogenesis Horizontal Vorticity

[Bill Tabor]

We often hear how a supercell derives it's motion from, or a tornado develops from horizontal vorticity (air rotating about a horizontal plane) that is later tilted into the vertical to cause a vertically rotating columnn of air (tornado, mesocyclone)... I was perusing my site and came across the following picture:

To me, this clearly illustrates this potential as it appears there is a horizontal tube being pulled upward (tilting) into this updraft.

I remember when I was a teen and before I started chasing we had a tornado warning at home. After a hail storm the rainfree back of the supercell passed and there was a large - very long horizontal tube at the rear, base of the storm that was strongly rotating - very silently as it passed overhead. That was also an example, and I understand it now, but then and for a long time it had me baffled. Have any of the rest of you seen these or taken pictures / video of them? It's pretty cool stuff IMO.

EDIT: I might add, that as I understand it landspouts are typically formed by a storm ingesting horizontal vorticity. Supercell tornadoes I believe don't usually start this way but can be helped by the process when combined with the RFD, but that process is a bit more complex.

 

[Willie Dines]

I feel that the prospect of how tornadoes/meso's are formed have been somewhat strengthened from those who have seen these horizontal vorticies forming and are perhaps an indication of the potential for a secondary meso to form

It is certainly a pretty cool image and leaves alot of food for thought

Willie