A World of Weather: Chapter 9 Introduction
CHAPTER 9
THUNDERSTORMS
At any given moment, over 1800 thunderstorms are in progress
on Earth. Each thunderstorm is a boiling consequence of
instability, a cumulonimbus cloud that can form, grow, mature and
die within an hour (see Color Plate 13(l)).
By definition, a
thunderstorm is a convective rain or snow shower accompanied by
lightning and thunder. Thunderstorms are a mixed blessing from
Mother Nature: on the positive side, they provide a large amount
of the precipitation needed for agricultural production and water
resources over many parts of the world. In fact, in the Central
Plains, the agricultural heartland of the United States,
thunderstorms are the primary source of precipitation during the
summer.
But thunderstorms can also be dangerous, accompanied not only
by lightning but also by strong gusts of wind, hail, and even
tornadoes, all of which can cause tremendous damage and even loss
of life. In this chapter, we explore the variety, structure, life
cycle, and human impacts of the thunderstorm. We begin this expose
by explaining the traits that give thunderstorms their name -
lightning and thunder.