WES C

In the wes c project we learned about storms. I didn't know much about storms other than that they were clouds and rain that usually came with thunder and lightning, but I found out that they were much more than that. (1) A storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere , especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying sever weather. It may be marked by strong winds, rains, thunder and lightning. (2) Warm air is less concentrated than cool air, so warm air rises within cooler air, similar to hot air balloons. Clouds form as warm air carrying moisture rises within cooler air. As the warm air rises, it cools. The moist water vapour begins to condense. When the moisture condenses, this releases energy that keeps the air warmer than its surroundings, so that it continues to rise. If enough insibility is present in the atmosphere, this process will continue long enough for cumulonimbus clouds to form, which support lightning and thunder.All thunderstorms, regardless of type, go through three stages: the cumulus stage, the mature stage, and the dissipation stage. Depending on the conditions present in the atmosphere, these three stages can take anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours to occur.
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderstorm

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm

Airflow diagrams showing three stages of a thunderstorm life cycle