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🌪️ Tornado Formation (2D)

Top-down Rankine-vortex model of tornado formation: wind shear and CAPE set the tangential wind, cyclostrophic balance derives the pressure field, and that field decides where the condensation funnel and debris cloud appear.

Meteorology & Weather Patterns2DModerate60 FPS📱 Mobile-adapted⇄ 3D version

This 2D companion trades the orbiting 3D scene for a top-down read of the physics: a Rankine combined vortex (solid-body core, irrotational outer flow) is driven by wind shear and CAPE, its pressure field is derived directly from cyclostrophic balance, and that field decides where the condensation funnel forms and how large it grows as the humidity slider moves.

⚙ Under the hood

Rankine-vortex tornado model: wind shear and CAPE set the tangential wind, cyclostrophic balance gives the pressure field and vorticity, and humidity decides where the pressure drop is enough to condense a visible funnel.

tornado formationrankine vortexmesocyclonecyclostrophic balanceCAPE

2D · HTML5 Canvas 2D · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install