Abstract
A review of the limited literature available on waterspouts is provided. First, observational papers, describing dedicated field campaigns and specific case studies, analyzed by means of wind profilers and Doppler radars, are briefly discussed. Different mechanisms of development are then analyzed, focusing on the differences between non-mesocyclonic and mesocyclonic cases: the former usually develop as result of intensification of preexisting small-scale surface vortices called misocyclones, while the latter form by reorientation and generation of vorticity within a downdraft. Also, waterspouts are analyzed in comparison with other small-scale vortices (tornadoes, landspouts, dust devils). The typical phases in the waterspout lifetime are then discussed from a dynamical perspective.
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