What is a landspout?
什么是陆地龙卷风?
There are several types of well-known tornadoes — waterspouts, snowspouts and supercell tornadoes come to mind — but the landspout is unique because it borders the line between a full-blown tornado and a dust devil.
众所周知，龙卷风有几种类型——水龙卷风、雪龙卷风和超级单体龙卷风——但陆地龙卷风是独一无二的，因为它位于全面爆发的龙卷风和尘暴之间。
A meteorologist named Howard B. Bluestein dubbed these twisters landspouts in 1985.
1985年，一位名叫霍华德·B·布鲁斯坦的气象学家将这些龙卷风命名为“陆地龙卷风”。
Their formation and overall look resemble a waterspout, except that they form on land or on a surface where winds are converging.
它们的形成和整体上看起来像一个水柱，除了它们是在陆地上或风汇聚的地方形成的。
These types of tornadoes have flat bases and a fluffy, cotton-like appearance. They ofter appear thin and rope-like.
这些类型的龙卷风有扁平的底座和蓬松的棉花状外观，它们常常显得又瘦又像绳子。
Unlike a tornado formed by supercell thunderstorms, a landspout can form without any signs of a thunderstorm. Even more interesting, not all landspouts are visible.
与超级单体雷暴形成的龙卷风不同，陆地龙卷风可以在没有任何雷暴迹象的情况下形成，更有趣的是，并不是所有的陆地龙卷风都是可见的。
Another simple way to explain how a landspout differs from a normal tornado: landspouts are formed from the bottom up in an updraft, whereas normal tornadoes funnel from the sky down to the surface.
另一种简单的方法来解释陆地龙卷风和普通龙卷风的不同之处:在上升气流中，陆地龙卷风从底部向上形成，而普通龙卷风则从天空向下进入地表。
Landspouts tend to last 15 minutes or less. They can cause damage but their winds aren't nearly as powerful as those of a supercell tornado.
陆地龙卷风一般持续15分钟或更短。它们可以造成破坏，但它们的风力远不如超级单体龙卷风那么强劲。
They are particularly hard to forecast, as Doppler weather radar can't detect them.
它们尤其难以预测，因为多普勒天气雷达无法探测到它们。
You're most likely to experience a landspout in the spring or summer months, but they can occur in any month.
你最有可能在春季或夏季经历一次陆地龙卷风，但它们其实可以发生在任何月份。
The National Weather Service will often refer to this type of tornado as a "dust tube tornado."
美国国家气象局经常将这种龙卷风称为“沙尘管龙卷风”。
If you ever encounter one, be sure to stay away from windows. While they aren't quite as powerful as a normal tornado, their winds can shatter windows or damage possessions.
如果你遇到这种情况，一定要远离窗户，虽然它们不像普通龙卷风那么强大，但它们的风力可以震碎窗户或损坏财物。
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