Kentucky Tornadoes 2021: Climate Change Changing Position of ‘Tornado Alley’
- 2 years ago
MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY — The areas in which tornadoes are occurring most often is changing and it could be because of climate change, according CNN, who spoke to tornado expert Victor Gensini in the wake of the catastrophic tornadoes that killed at least 80 people in Kentucky last week.
Over the past four decades, tornado frequency has been decreasing in parts of the central and southern Great Plains known as ‘tornado alley,’ while increasing in more heavily populated states east of the Mississippi River.
Tornadoes are primarily fueled by warm, moist air from strong winds that shift direction as they rise up, and this could be affected by climate change because the the jet stream — air currents in the upper atmosphere that influence weather patterns — is known to be affected by rises in greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere.
Over the past four decades, tornado frequency has been decreasing in parts of the central and southern Great Plains known as ‘tornado alley,’ while increasing in more heavily populated states east of the Mississippi River.
Tornadoes are primarily fueled by warm, moist air from strong winds that shift direction as they rise up, and this could be affected by climate change because the the jet stream — air currents in the upper atmosphere that influence weather patterns — is known to be affected by rises in greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere.