microburst
MY-kroh-berst
/ˈmaɪkroʊbɜːrst/
A localized column of sinking air (downdraft) within a thunderstorm that drops violently to the ground.
Extremely concentrated, intense wind event covering less than 2.5 miles across, capable of causing aviation hazards.
The story behind the word. Coined by atmospheric scientist Tetsuya Theodore Fujita in 1976 while investigating aircraft crashes caused by sudden localized wind shear during thunderstorms.
Word relationships
- downdraft: Downdraft is any downward current of air, whereas microburst specifies a concentrated, high-speed impact event.
- updraft: An updraft is an upward current of air within a storm system.
Commonly confused with
- tornado: A tornado sucks air inward and upward in a rotation, whereas a microburst blasts air downward and outward.
Collocations
- wet microburst
- dry microburst
- microburst wind shear
Example sentences
- "The pilot safely aborted the landing after radar detected a sudden microburst near the runway." Aviation hazard report
Memory hook
A MICROburst is a localized BURST of downward wind. Violent downward wind column.
When not to use
Do not use for broad windstorms or general gusty weather covering whole counties.
Fun facts
- Microbursts can produce straight-line wind speeds exceeding 150 mph, equal to a Category 4 hurricane, but over a tiny area.
Explore more words
microclimate, troposphere, hurricane, microplastic, wildfire, particulate
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