Thunderstorms evolve through the following three-stage life cycle:

Thunderstorms evolve through the following three-stage life cycle:

• A. Cumulus, dissipating, mature
• B. Mature, cumulus, dissipating
• C. Dissipating, cumulus, mature
• D. Cumulus, mature, dissipating

Answer: (D)

Thunderstorms develop through a progression of growth and decay driven by air currents and moisture. In the first stage, warm, moist air rises and forms a cumulus cloud with mainly updrafts and little or no precipitation. The storm then reaches its peak as a mature stage, where strong updrafts and downdrafts coexist, producing heavy rainfall, lightning, and widespread turbulence. Finally, the system weakens in the dissipating stage when the updrafts can no longer sustain the storm and downdrafts dominate, cutting off the storm’s fuel and causing it to fade. This order—cumulus first, then mature, then dissipating—best reflects how a thunderstorm builds, peaks, and then decays.

Thunderstorms develop through a progression of growth and decay driven by air currents and moisture. In the first stage, warm, moist air rises and forms a cumulus cloud with mainly updrafts and little or no precipitation. The storm then reaches its peak as a mature stage, where strong updrafts and downdrafts coexist, producing heavy rainfall, lightning, and widespread turbulence. Finally, the system weakens in the dissipating stage when the updrafts can no longer sustain the storm and downdrafts dominate, cutting off the storm’s fuel and causing it to fade. This order—cumulus first, then mature, then dissipating—best reflects how a thunderstorm builds, peaks, and then decays.