Sarah RoseLab 12 Severe Thunderstorms Section 8Mike M., Liz D., Jeannie N. Question 1Case number 4, 5 and 6 were all air mass storms. They al had negative lifted indexes ranging from -3.5 to -7.5. These air mass windstorms also had relatively low wind shears from 5-17 knots (in comparison to the super cell storms). We also recorded that 2 out of the three air mass storms did not have a capping inversion. For the super cells storms all had capping inversions. All of the super cells also had relatively high wind shear ranging from 30-69 knots these storms also had negative lifted index ranging form -7.5 to -3.1.If a storm occurs the wind shear had the biggest effect on the severity. The lifting index tells you if a storm is possible where the wind shear determines the intensity. Hence why air mass storms (which have low wind shear) are less intense then supercells. Question 2For exercise two we determined that case 1 & 2 met the criteria of a air mass (weak) thunderstorms because case 1 and 2 had lower wind shears. We then decided that the two super cell cases were 3 and 4 because their wind shears were higher then all the other cases and wind shear determine severity. But super cells also have to meet other criteria like negative lifted index and capped inversion, which cases 3 and 4, do. After we determined the two that had factors closest to super cell storms we concluded that case number 4 would be most likely to produce tornadoes because case number 4 is the strongest of all the cases (based on it’s wind shear of 78 knots) and only the most sever of storms produce tornadoes.Summary & Conclusion In this lab we were given graphs of plotted data that were taken during different storms, with this data we recorded key data points in a spreadsheet to then determine which of the cases was the most severe. Potential places for error in this lab were our subjective “eye-balling” of measurements. We had to guess as best we could points on the graph and round to the nearest degree when it came to wind direction. All of these measurement could be challenged because we didn’t have access to a ruler to see exactly which hatch mark on the graph the points aligned to, we simply used our digression. This lab helped me better understand the distinction between a air-mass thunderstorm and a super cell thunderstorm and while we don’t experience too many of those here in Colorado I though it was interesting how the different factors effect the severity or likeliness of a storm forming or strengthening differently. If there was a tornado watch issued I would probably plan to stay indoors, listen to the radio and tv more carefully maybe assemble an emergency kit just in case. Whenthere is a tornado warming I would move to a small interior room with no windows preferably in the lower level of the building a basement would be ideal. Most injuriesfrom tornadoes are from debris so the best thing to do in hunker down indoors and wait it