What is a microburst?

What is a microburst?

• A. A tiny rain shower.
• B. A gust front spreading outwards.
• C. A stable atmospheric layer.
• D. A strong suddenly downdraft reaching up to 6,000 ft per minute.

Answer: (D)

A microburst is a small, intense downdraft from a thunderstorm that reaches the ground and then spreads outward in all directions. The key feature is the rapid vertical motion of air rushing downward from the cloud to the surface, producing very strong winds at the ground in a compact area. Those winds can descent at high rates—up to about 6,000 feet per minute—creating dangerous wind shear for aircraft during approach or takeoff. It’s not just a tiny rain shower, nor merely a gust front, nor a stable atmospheric layer—the defining idea is the powerful, sudden downdraft that hits the surface.

A microburst is a small, intense downdraft from a thunderstorm that reaches the ground and then spreads outward in all directions. The key feature is the rapid vertical motion of air rushing downward from the cloud to the surface, producing very strong winds at the ground in a compact area. Those winds can descent at high rates—up to about 6,000 feet per minute—creating dangerous wind shear for aircraft during approach or takeoff. It’s not just a tiny rain shower, nor merely a gust front, nor a stable atmospheric layer—the defining idea is the powerful, sudden downdraft that hits the surface.