mushroom clouds

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HAL9000

Lifer
Oct 17, 2010
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Why do they expand upwards rather than in a uniform sphere?

I believe it's something to do with the updraft of air caused, as there is more air towards the bottom that the top where the air gets thinner, and as hot air rises...

I'm not sure.
 

mcurphy

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2003
4,150
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My guess is because of the initial direction of the force leading away from the ground pushes the cloud upwards and then outwards.
 

guyver01

Lifer
Sep 25, 2000
22,135
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Mushroom clouds form as a result of the sudden formation of a large mass of hot, low-density gases near the ground creating a Rayleigh–Taylor instability. The mass of gas rises rapidly, resulting in turbulent vortices curling downward around its edges, forming a vortex ring and drawing up a column of additional smoke and debris in the center to form its "stem". The mass of gas eventually reaches an altitude where it is no longer of lower density than the surrounding air and disperses, the debris drawn upward from the ground scattering and drifting back down.
 

Mike Gayner

Diamond Member
Jan 5, 2007
6,175
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Mushroom clouds form as a result of the sudden formation of a large mass of hot, low-density gases near the ground creating a Rayleigh–Taylor instability. The mass of gas rises rapidly, resulting in turbulent vortices curling downward around its edges, forming a vortex ring and drawing up a column of additional smoke and debris in the center to form its "stem". The mass of gas eventually reaches an altitude where it is no longer of lower density than the surrounding air and disperses, the debris drawn upward from the ground scattering and drifting back down.

Copy/pasted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mushroom_cloud
 

guyver01

Lifer
Sep 25, 2000
22,135
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I'm just saying you may as well post the link if someone wants to know more.

or.. they coulda gone to wiki themselves to find it.

it's not my job to point someone where they can find something, if they come here instead of googling it.
 
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