Ilmakehäjen

Ilmakehäjen refers to a type of meteorological phenomenon where a low-pressure system in the troposphere is connected to a high-altitude vortex.

Ilmakehäjen occurs when cold air is trapped beneath a layer of warm air in the stratosphere. As a result, the high-altitude vortex developed in the vortex duct creates a connection between the tornado that starts on the ground and the stratosphere. The vortex duct is a channel of rotating air that connects the tornado to the tropopause.

At ground level, the tornado may appear to rotate independently of the nearby weather system. However, information is transmitted upwards through the vortex duct, allowing the tornado to expand and sustain itself through exchange of heat and moisture with the surrounding environment.

Ilmakehäjen is a rare type of weather phenomenon and not fully understood by meteorologists. The connection between the high-altitude vortex and the tornado allows the system to draw power from the stratosphere.