WATERSPOUTS - Like many forces in nature, waterspouts can be both beautiful and dangerous. They've been known to overturn boats, damage large ships, and put lives in jeopardy. If you spot one, exercise extreme caution and keep your distance. Don't leave your safety up in the air – try to avoid these turbulent twisters. If a waterspout is sighted, immediately head at a 90 degree angle from the apparent motion of the waterspout. Never try to navigate through a waterspout. Although waterspouts are usually weaker than tornadoes, they can still produce significant damage to you and your boat. They are sometimes seen as threatening funnel clouds descending from stormy skies. Others can be nearly invisible, like a ghostly spiral of wind skimming the sea surface. These eerie columns of rotating air are known as waterspouts — commonly defined as tornadoes over water. Waterspouts usually develop over warm tropical ocean waters. They're spotted in the Florida Keys more than any other place in the world. They've also been seen over the waters of the Great Lakes. Scientists that study waterspouts generally put them in two categories: fair weather and tornadic. The tornadic waterspouts may often begin as tornadoes over land and then move over water. They also form in severe thunderstorms over a body of water. They can wreak havoc with high winds, hail, and dangerous lightning. Fair weather waterspouts develop in calmer weather.

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Waterspouts

Waterspouts usually develop over warm tropical ocean waters. They're spotted in the Florida Keys more than any other place in the world. They've also been seen over the waters of the Great Lakes.

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Like many forces in nature, waterspouts can be both beautiful and dangerous. They've been known to overturn boats, damage large ships, and put lives in jeopardy. If you spot one, exercise extreme caution and keep your distance. Don't leave your safety up in the air – try to avoid these turbulent twisters. If a waterspout is sighted, immediately head at a 90 degree angle from the apparent motion of the waterspout. Never try to navigate through a waterspout. Although waterspouts are usually weaker than tornadoes, they can still produce significant damage to you and your boat.

The Ocean Today

 

They are sometimes seen as threatening funnel clouds descending from stormy skies.

Others can be nearly invisible, like a ghostly spiral of wind skimming the sea surface.

These eerie columns of rotating air are known as waterspouts — commonly defined as tornadoes over water.

Waterspouts usually develop over warm tropical ocean waters.

They're spotted in the Florida Keys more than any other place in the world.

They've also been seen over the waters of the Great Lakes.

Scientists that study waterspouts generally put them in two categories: fair weather and tornadic.

The tornadic waterspouts may often begin as tornadoes over land and then move over water.

They also form in severe thunderstorms over a body of water. They can wreak havoc with high winds, hail, and dangerous lightning.

Fair weather waterspouts develop in calmer weather.

They form only over open water, developing at the surface and actually climbing skyward towards the clouds.

The size of all waterspouts can range from just a few feet, to several hundred feet wide.

Research shows that fair weather waterspouts exhibit a five-stage life cycle:

Stage 1 is the formation of a disk on the surface of the water, known as a dark spot;

Stage 2 is a spiral pattern on the water surface;

Stage 3 is a formation of a spray ring;

Stage 4 is where the waterspout becomes a visible funnel; and the lifecycle ends with

Stage 5 is where the waterspout decays.

Like many forces in nature, waterspouts can be both beautiful and dangerous.

They've been known to overturn boats, damage large ships, and put lives in jeopardy.

If you spot one, exercise extreme caution and keep your distance.

Don't leave your safety up in the air – try to avoid these turbulent twisters.

Fast Facts

Waterspouts are spotted in the Florida Keys - more than any other place on earth.

Listen for special marine warnings about waterspout sightings that are broadcast on NOAA Weather Radio.

Watch the sky for certain types of clouds.

In the summer, with light winds, look for a possible waterspout underneath a line of cumulus clouds with dark, flat bases.

Anytime of the year, a thunderstorm or line of thunderstorms, can produce very intense waterspouts.

If a waterspout is sighted, immediately head at a 90 degree angle from the apparent motion of the waterspout.

Never try to navigate through a waterspout.

Although waterspouts are usually weaker than tornadoes, they can still produce significant damage to you and your boat.

The Ocean Today website provides access to the current and archived videos that play on the Ocean Today multimedia exhibit. Ocean Today was designed as a highly dynamic, visitor-friendly experience at the Sant Ocean Hall in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History. It has expanded to many other locations around the world.

The Ocean Today website is an online archive of the videos that appear on the physical kiosks. The videos are categorized in the seven theme areas: Collections, Danger Zone, Exploration, Fix the Ocean, Go Fish, Marine Life, and Research. A description of Ocean Today, kiosks locations, how to obtain a kiosk and requirements, and contributor information can found in the “What is Ocean Today” section.

https://oceantoday.noaa.gov/waterspouts/

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ASTRAPHOBIA - Fear of Thunder and Lightning If you or someone you know has a fear of lightning that causes you to hide in your closet or avoid attending events, you may have astraphobia. Astraphobia is the term for the extreme fear of thunder and lightning. And it’s not just children and adults who can suffer from an extreme and irrational fear of thunder and lightning. This common phobia can also affect animals, so don’t be surprised if your dog starts howling and hiding under the bed at the height of a nasty electrical storm. The term, astraphobia, is derived from the Greek word astrape which means lightning, and phobos which means fear. Astraphobia can negatively affect and limit the lifestyle of people dealing with the fear, but it is treatable – for both humans and pets. A person who has astraphobia will frequently check the weather report. If they hear that there is a storm coming, they will alter their plans and they may go to extreme degrees to change these plans. And when there is a storm, they may become so afraid they go into a closet in their home and hide. People with a phobia of thunder and lightning may avoid situations where a storm might be present, such as camping. Astraphobia may cause them to go irrationally out of their way to avoid bad weather, such as canceling plans at even a slight possibility of a storm. The good news, for those who suffer from astraphobia, is that the condition is treatable.

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Astraphobia

Fear of Thunder and Lightning

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If you or someone you know has a fear of lightning that causes you to hide in your closet or avoid attending events, you may have astraphobia. Find out how you can treat it

Article by: Rosemary Black

 

Are you scared of lightning?

Does thunder make you want to curl up in a ball and hide?

Do you have a physical reaction when a storm begins, such as sweaty palms or chest pain?

Astraphobia is the term for the extreme fear of thunder and lightning.

And it’s not just children and adults who can suffer from an extreme and irrational fear of thunder and lightning.

This common phobia can also affect animals, so don’t be surprised if your dog starts howling and hiding under the bed at the height of a nasty electrical storm.

The term, astraphobia, is derived from the Greek word astrape which means lightning, and phobos which means fear.

Astraphobia can negatively affect and limit the lifestyle of people dealing with the fear, but it is treatable – for both humans and pets.

What is Astraphobia?

A person who has astraphobia will frequently check the weather report, says Greta Hirsch, PhD, clinical director of The Ross Center, an outpatient mental health treatment center in Washington, DC.

“If they hear that there is a storm coming, they will alter their plans and they may go to extreme degrees to change these plans. And when there is a storm, they may become so afraid they go into a closet in their home and hide,” explains Dr. Hirsch.

People with a phobia of thunder and lightning may avoid situations where a storm might be present, such as camping.

Astraphobia may cause them to go irrationally out of their way to avoid bad weather, such as canceling plans at even a slight possibility of a storm.

The good news, for those who suffer from astraphobia, is that the condition is treatable.

Causes of Astraphobia

Astraphobia can be attributed to instinct, and a natural physiologic response, says Alan Manavitz, MD, clinical psychiatrist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

“It can be instinctual or learned or traumatic in origin,” he says.

It makes sense to want to avoid a storm, since they can very realistically present danger.

However, having an overwhelming physical reaction to a storm when you are knowingly safe in a home is a condition that can be overcome.

When people have had a traumatic experience linked to thunderstorms and lightning, they may be more prone to develop astraphobia.

And if a person has witnessed someone getting hurt by thunder and lightning, this can contribute to the development of astraphobia.

Those who are generally inclined toward anxiety and fear also may be more prone to develop this phobia.

Additionally, children with autism and those with sensory processing issues tend to develop astraphobia more frequently than other people because they are more sensitive to sound, Dr. Hirsch says.

Astraphobia Symptoms

Individuals who have astraphobia may have feelings of panic before and during a storm. The phobia can cause such symptoms as:

o  Chest pain

o  Numbness

o  Nausea

o  Heart palpitations and a racing pulse

o  Breathing difficulty

o  Sweaty palms

o  An obsessive desire to monitor the storm

o  Clinging to others for protection during a storm

o  Understanding that these feelings are irrational and overblown

Individuals with astraphobia may also feel the need to hide away from lightning and thunder in a closet, bathroom, bathtub, or under the bed, Dr. Manavitz says.

“They may cling to others for protection,” he says.

Treatments for Astraphobia

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be used to treat astraphobia.

“Cognitive behavioral therapy is effective because it retrains our subconscious to rid itself of negative thoughts by retraining our conscious perceptions first,” Dr. Manavitz says.

In cognitive behavioral therapy, the therapist may encourage the person attending to keep an anxiety journal, Dr. Hirsch says.

In the journal, the person may note when there is a storm coming and that they believe that if they don’t hide in their closet, something terrible (like lightning striking the house or a tree falling on the house) will happen.

Next, the therapist and patient will look at their negative thoughts together.

“The person begins to see that when he or she is having a panic attack and believing these negative thoughts, all it does is make them continue to be fearful,” Dr. Hirsch says.

“So the anticipatory anxiety feeds the feelings of loss of control and creates a panicked feeling.” 

In treatment, this negative way of thinking is gradually replaced with fact-driven, evidence-based thinking, which helps the person to manage their anxiety.

Exposure therapy is also helpful, Dr. Hirsch says. “With exposure therapy, the person may watch videos of storms or listen to the sound of thunder,” Dr. Hirsh says.

Breathing techniques and progressive muscle relaxation can also be useful in treating astraphobia.

What You Can Do

Don’t constantly look at weather apps.

Checking the weather compulsively can make a person with astraphobia think they are keeping themselves safe, “but it really fuels the anxiety,” Dr. Hirsch says.

Try limiting yourself to checking the weather in the morning so that you can dress accordingly, but resist hitting the weather app multiple times per day.

Get a referral to a mental health counselor who is trained in CBT.

You may even want to have the therapist make a “house visit” during a storm so that you can practice your deep breathing and receive counseling during the actual storm.

Mental health apps and meditation apps are also an easy and accessible option for dealing with astraphobia.

There are apps that provide therapy sessions (including CBT), apps that provide guided relaxation techniques, and apps that allow you to journal your fears.

Share with your loved ones that you have an irrational fear of thunder and lightning, and ask for their support.

Talking out loud about your fears may help you begin to face them and informing your loved ones that your phobia is limiting you may help decrease additional anxiety you have about missing your loved ones’ events and gatherings.

Surprisingly, knowing the rarity of death by lightning strike won’t lessen the irrational fear.

“During a storm, to calm yourself, count backward from 200 by 3s or 2s. Or talk on the phone,” advises Dr. Hirsh.

“Doing either of these out loud regulates your breathing.”

She also says to remind yourself of how many times you’ve been at home by yourself during a storm, and nothing bad has happened!! 

It might feel like you’ll never get over this fear, especially if it’s something you’ve been dealing with since you were young, but opening up about your phobia and seeking treatment will help you get over your fear of thunder and lightning.

Rosemary Black is a veteran journalist who has written about food, health, fitness, and parenting for more than 25 years. A former senior editor at Everyday Health, she was food editor for the New York Daily News and Parade’s Dash magazine. Rosemary, the author of four cookbooks, has written for QualityHealth.com and various other websites and magazines. The mom of 7 lives with her family in Westchester County, New York.

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ST. ELMO’S FIRE - As in nature, when a storm develops, clouds are charged due to the collisions of the atoms inside the clouds. The upper part of the cloud is positively charged while the lower part of the cloud is negatively charged. This high concentration of the negative charge at the bottom of the clouds repel the electrons in the atoms at the ground and polarizes the ground positively. As the concentration of the negative charge around the clouds gives rise to an intense electric field, the air around the region gets their electrons ripped off from them, forming a plasma zone. This also happens so that the charge separation in the clouds neutralizes in some way. Besides, this is indeed how lightning begins to form. The ionization continues to grow as long as the electric field intensity is higher. It forms a conduit of plasma (called as leaders or downward streamers) so that the electrons can flow towards the ground. In the ground, the same happens. Except the concentration of positive ions would be more concentrated at tall rods and sharp objects like a lightning rod. The air ionizes around it and it creates an upward conduit (upward streamers) at a slower rate. These conduits are plasma that is so ready to conduct electric current better than their previous phase. Therefore, when the downward conduit and the upward one meet each other, the circuit is complete and lightning strikes. If you know how a neon light works, you could figure it out yourselves.

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St. Elmo’s Fire

How St. Elmo’s Fire Works

by Karthikeyan KC 

If you have ever voyaged across the sea or flown through a thunderstorm, you might have seen a bluish glow that closely resembles a sustained spark.

It’s a phenomenon called as St. Elmo’s fire.

The name ‘St. Elmo’s fire’ is just a ridiculous historical name given to the phenomenon and it really has nothing to do with fire.

Hence, it is neither a fire nor a lightning. It is more of a static discharge.

Before we see how St. Elmo’s fire work, it is essential to do a quick review on how lightning works.

Lightning

As in nature, when a storm develops, clouds are charged due to the collisions of the atoms inside the clouds.

The upper part of the cloud is positively charged while the lower part of the cloud is negatively charged.

This high concentration of the negative charge at the bottom of the clouds repel the electrons in the atoms at the ground and polarizes the ground positively.

As the concentration of the negative charge around the clouds gives rise to an intense electric field, the air around the region gets their electrons ripped off from them, forming a plasma zone.

This also happens so that the charge separation in the clouds neutralizes in some way.

Besides, this is indeed how lightning begins to form.

The ionization continues to grow as long as the electric field intensity is higher.

It forms a conduit of plasma (called as leaders or downward streamers) so that the electrons can flow towards the ground.

In the ground, the same happens. Except the concentration of positive ions would be more concentrated at tall rods and sharp objects like a lightning rod.

The air ionizes around it and it creates an upward conduit (upward streamers) at a slower rate.

These conduits are plasma that is so ready to conduct electric current better than their previous phase.

Therefore, when the downward conduit and the upward one meet each other, the circuit is complete and lightning strikes.

St. Elmo’s fire

Now that you know how lightning works, explaining the St. Elmo’s fire phenomenon is quite easy.

Besides, if you know how a neon light works, you could figure it out yourselves.

On the ground, during a thunderstorm, say a mast of the ship, a tall post of any house, or even the sharp corners of any structure, acts as a possible lightning rod.

A tall pointed structure with reduced surface area gives the lightning a chance to discharge with a less resistive path to the ground.

What does it have to do with the St. Elmo’s fire phenomenon?

Well, the way lightning rod works is that it ionizes the air around it, as its positive polarity attracts (tears) the electrons off the atoms whose protons are already being attracted by the negatively charged clouds (and repelled at the same time by the lightning rod).

This ionization tries to neutralize the cloud at the bottom.

However, under certain conditions, when the charge density is higher in the clouds, an equal higher density of positive charge on the earth front is created and even higher positive ions accumulate at the tall objects like the lightning rods or masts of the ships.

Therefore, this very high electric potential difference ionizes the air in a slightly different way.

As the voltage is too high, the energy of the free electrons is so high around the pointed objects that it makes them collide with other neighboring atoms and rip their electrons further.

When electrons with higher energy recombine with the positive ions and return to a lower energy state, this produces a visible corona around the object, which possibly luminesces the plasma.

The color of the corona is governed by the atmospheric contents.

In our case of Earth, it’s primarily Oxygen and Nitrogen. Hence the blue colors.

This sustained corona discharge (St. Elmo’s fire) would continue producing this luminous plasma with a hissing sound as long as the electric potential difference between the clouds and the earth is greater than 1000 – 30,000 volts per centimeter, which is the required voltage for our atmospheric air to produce this kind of discharge.

When you see one such glow around some tall posts or objects, there is a very high probability that a lightning (arc discharge) is about to strike.

Sometimes, this faint corona is observed around the pointy horns of some animals.

Besides animals, this is more commonly observed in the wing tips and the nose of an airplane flying through the clouds.

AvatarKarthikeyan KC

Aeronautical engineer, dev, science fiction author, gamer, and an explorer. I am the creator of Geekswipe. I love writing about physics and astronomy. I am now creating Swyde.

https://geekswipe.net/science/physics/how-st-elmos-fire-works/