Waterspout

A tornado is a ferociously rotating column of air stretching from the base of a cumulonimbus cloud to the earth's surface. They are caused when a cloud that is the right size quickly precipitates which releases heat. This caused it to rise, creating a vacuum under it. The vortex is created from the air rushing under it. The most dangerous part of a tornado is the violent winds and the debris that goes to flight during one. Tornados have been spotted on every continent but Antarctica; however, most occur in the U.S. The most prominent time for tornados is from April 26 through June 9. Violent winds and debris slamming into buildings cause most structural damage. - Michelle Rooks - 233

The abnormal pattern of increase in temperatures down the Peruvian and Ecuadorian coast is called El Nino. It is part of a bigger change in wind and weather all over the world. El Nino and La Nina are essentially the same phenomenon. When unusually cool temperatures in the ocean occur on the equator between South America and the Date Line, La Nina exists. This happens around Christmas time. El Nino is noticed along the South American coast, in the open Pacific Ocean, near the Galapagos, and near the Date Line 4 months after La Nina. The most significant cause of damage during El Nino is a result of the violent storms it brings and the upsets in global food chain that it puts into effect. The significant damage from La Ni?a is the increase Atlantic hurricane activity that it causes. - Michelle Rooks - 235