A very large electric current can flow inside a tornado from the clouds to the ground. If the magnetic field is measured to be 1.62×10-8 T at a distance of 8.33 km from the tornado, then what is the magnitude of this current?

Answer 1

Suppose that the current is created the magnetic field, that is similar to the magnetic field of the very long wire with the current. The magnetic field in this case according to the Biot-Savart Law is
B=μₒ•I/2•π•r, then
I =2•π•B•r/ μₒ = 2•π•1.62•10^-8•8.33•10^3/4• π•10^-7 =675 A