Crop Insurance Variability Flashcards
What is tornado valley
Region in the central US where the greatest number and most damaging tornados occur in the world
- kansas, arkansas, texas, louisiana
- the winds come over the rocky mountains in Wyoming and Colorado into Kansas and Nebraska
How do the jet streams work to create tornados in this area
The mountains and meridional jet streams
- High pressure jet stream on the west side of the mountains, with a low pressure cell on the mountains.
- High pressure cell in the tornado valley and just east of that is another low pressure meridional jet stream
- leaves a large high pressure system with low pressure all around, creating the tornados
Describe Omega Blocking
A high pressure system becomes stationary and is flanked by low-pressure systems on either side, creating the omega sign when viewed on a weather map
- this weather blocks the usual west to east movement, leading to prolonged periods of stable weather in the high pressure area and unsettled weather in the low pressure areas
How is climate change affecting Omega Blocking?
Omega blocks are bigger and hot days are getting hotter
How does Omega Blocking affect crop planting
More blocks and they’re lasting longer are making the planting windows less reliable
