[Starman]

Wha keeps these things going?

[Lavina]

Hi,

What keeps tornado's going is still anyone's guess, but what is known to keep a tornado going actually depends on the storm. If the varying winds are staggered in just the right manner with sufficient speed, they will act on the upward rising air, spinning it like a top which in turn will form a tornado. Hopefully this helps a little.

[unclejohnny]

What keeps a tornado going, most scientists disagree, but what starts them is an interaction of atmospheric pressure, rotation in a thunderstorm, and temperature differences. I believe if any of these variables starts a tornado, the balancing of any one of these would most likely cause it to lose steam. But remember the Tri-State tornado? The atmosphere was VERY unstable and conditions kept it on the ground through 3 states.