Storm Chasing

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Storm Chasing Storm chasing Tornado Alley. Nebraska USA Welcome to my blog. I’m a storm chaser. What does this mean? 1 Basically, I follow storms. It’s exciting! I do it every spring − spring is tornado season! Some storm chasers are scientists. Others, like me, just like the adventure. We do it in our free time. This month, I’m chasing storms with my friend, Joe. We don’t see a tornado with every storm, but we often do! Day 1 We’re driving through Tornado Alley in the USA. We’re starting our trip in Nebraska. We’ve got a computer, a video camera and instruments that tell us about the weather. Joe is looking at satellite weather reports on the internet. He uses information in the reports to calculate where the storm is starting. Joe says we’ve got a long drive in our truck today. 2 . So let’s go! insight Elementary Workbook Unit 4 pp.40–41 © Oxford University Press 20 14 1 Day 2 We’re in the middle of an incredible storm! 3 . There are a lot of clouds and it’s very windy. The wind speed is 160 km per hour! It’s raining. Driving is very dangerous at the moment because there’s a lot of water on the roads. It’s flooded in places. But there aren’t any tornadoes! Day 3 It’s not a good day today. After a seven-hour drive, we’re near Tulsa, Oklahoma, but there aren’t any clouds! 4 . We’re tired and fed up! I’m looking at some satellite information. Joe and I are deciding where to drive tomorrow. There’s a possible storm 200 km from here tomorrow. So, another long drive … Day 4 This is it! The clouds are moving quickly. Now there’s lots of hail – huge balls of hail are falling on the truck. It’s really noisy and there’s ice everywhere! 5 . But we’re driving away from it. It’s too dangerous! We need to get out of our truck and find a shelter to stay in. It’s the end of the storm! But what a day! Fantastic! Time to sleep … A001999 insight Elementary Workbook Unit 4 pp.40–41 © Oxford University Press 20 14 2.
Recommended publications
  • Samantha Santeiu 02-15-09 Sec. 9, Dave Defina Chasing a Storm
    Samantha Santeiu 02-15-09 Sec. 9, Dave DeFina Chasing a Storm Specific Purpose Statement : To inform my audience how meteorologists chase storms and about the importance of storm chasing in meteorological research. Central Idea : Storm chasing requires special tools and software; chases follow a general procedure on the chase day; and chasing has great importance in meteorological research. Pattern of Organization : topical. INTRODUCTION It’s September, 1900, in Galveston, Texas. Isaac Cline, a well-known climatologist, rides his horse and buggy along the beach. He’s here to observe the unusually high, gusting winds and huge waves crashing onshore. He orders the people of Galveston to evacuate. [VISUAL AID] Little did he know, he had just chased the massive Galveston hurricane of 1900 that would proceed to kill at least 6,000 people in the area. According to “A Brief History of Storm Chasing” on the National Association of Storm Chasers and Spotters website, this is one of the first accounts of storm chasing that we have. How about this: how many of you have seen the movie Twister ? [VISUAL AID] The basic storyline is that two people are storm chasers, and in the end they chase an epically huge tornado in the name of research. That is a more modern, albeit a bit inaccurate, account of storm chasing. I would like to inform you today about chasing storms, the way meteorologists do it. I plan to research severe storms as a career, so I have investigated the topic thoroughly and interviewed peers and professors on the subject. While storm chasing may seem like fun, there’s actually a lot involved.
    [Show full text]
  • Riding the Storm
    physicsworld.com Careers Riding the storm out A career in severe-weather research offers flexibility and plenty of opportunities to experience the fascinating physics of the rotating fluid called the atmosphere. Josh Wurman describes the science of storm-chasing and why hurricanes are scarier than tornadoes Take me to the weather Josh Wurman enjoys the freedom that being a freelance meteorologist affords him. I am standing on a bridge near the North thematical, essentially applied fluid dynam- mapped out the winds inside tornadoes, so Carolina coast. There is a light breeze, and I ics, and the real-world effects of these equa- no-one really knew how strong they were. am enjoying some hazy sunshine. But this tions can be seen every day. The equations After reading the relevant literature, I de- calm is an illusion: in a few minutes winds of of motion for the atmosphere cause trees to cided that a more ambitious technological up to 45 m s–1 (100 mph) will sweep in again. be blown down, hail to fall and snowdrifts and logistical approach could push back the The approaches to my section of the bridge to pile up – all things that I could witness veil of ignorance about these fascinating phe- are already drowned under 2.5 m of water, while growing up in Pennsylvania. nomena. So in 1994 I decided to shift focus, and my companions on this island are an I started out as a physics major at the Mas- leaving NCAR for a faculty position at the eclectic mix of traumatized animals, inclu- sachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Oklahoma, where I developed ding snakes, rats, wounded pelicans and but my real interest was meteorology, in a prototype mobile weather radar system frogs.
    [Show full text]
  • 2021 Girls Spring Season
    2021 GIRLS' SPRING PROGRAM SEASON INFORMATION PACKET LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7TH @ 10:00PM 2020-21 RETURN TO PLAY - MAKING YOUR SAFETY A PRIORITY C R E A T E D B Y V C U N I T E D S T A F F U S I N G R E S T O R E I L L I N O I S A N D J V A / U S A V / A A U V O L L E Y B A L L G U I D E L I N E S 2021 SPRING TRYOUTS 2020-21 Seaon - Return To Play - Making Your Safety Our Priority GET READY FOR THE 2021 SPRING SEASON WHY TRYOUTS? Even though we anticipate that the Pre-TRryouEt Cl-iniTcs aRre a gYreatO way Uto prTepar eC for tLhe uIpNcomiIngC club season early sessions will be in-house leagues, or simply keep your skills sharp during the year. Each session will focus on a we need to accomplish two goals with range of skills and include drills to sharpen your overall game and build our tryouts. First, to create a competitive training environment with your confidence as you prepare for the spring club season. players of similar ability and objectives. Second, is to be in a position to quickly U17 U16 U15 move to teams/tournament play when SATURDAY, APRIL 17 SATURDAY, APRIL 17 SATURDAY, APRIL 17 Illinois determines it is safe to do so. 9A-11A OR 1P-3P 9A-11A OR 1P-3P 9A-11A OR 1P-3P COST: $30 COST: $30 COST: $30 AGE GROUPS USA Volleyball and AAU Volleyball have U14 U13 U12-U11 changed the birthdate cutoff starting SATURDAY, APRIL 17 SATURDAY, APRIL 17 SATURDAY, APRIL 17 with the upcoming season.
    [Show full text]
  • Increasing Day-Length Induces Spring Flushing of Tropical Dry Forest Trees in the Absence of Rain
    Trees (2002) 16:445–456 DOI 10.1007/s00468-002-0185-3 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Guillermo Rivera · Stephen Elliott · Linda S. Caldas Guillermo Nicolossi · Vera T. R. Coradin Rolf Borchert Increasing day-length induces spring flushing of tropical dry forest trees in the absence of rain Received: 10 September 2001 / Accepted: 26 March 2002 / Published online: 20 July 2002 © Springer-Verlag 2002 Abstract In many conspecific trees of >50 species high- synthetic gain in tropical forests with a relatively short ly synchronous bud break with low inter-annual varia- growing season. tion was observed during the late dry season, around the spring equinox, in semideciduous tropical forests of Keywords Bud break · Phenology · Photoperiodic Argentina, Costa Rica, Java and Thailand and in tropical control · Tropical semideciduous forests savannas of Central Brazil. Bud break was 6 months out of phase between the northern and southern hemispheres and started about 1 month earlier in the subtropics than Introduction at lower latitudes. These observations indicate that “spring flushing”, i.e., synchronous bud break around the In cold-temperate forests, vegetative phenology of all spring equinox and weeks before the first rains of the broad-leaved trees is strongly synchronized by winter wet season, is induced by an increase in photoperiod of cold. In contrast, severe seasonal drought does not syn- 30 min or less. Spring flushing is common in semidecid- chronize vegetative phenology in tropical semideciduous uous forests characterized by a 4–6 month dry season forests with a dry season of 4–6 months and annual rain- and annual rainfall of 800–1,500 mm, but rare in neo- fall between 800 and 1,500 mm.
    [Show full text]
  • ESSENTIALS of METEOROLOGY (7Th Ed.) GLOSSARY
    ESSENTIALS OF METEOROLOGY (7th ed.) GLOSSARY Chapter 1 Aerosols Tiny suspended solid particles (dust, smoke, etc.) or liquid droplets that enter the atmosphere from either natural or human (anthropogenic) sources, such as the burning of fossil fuels. Sulfur-containing fossil fuels, such as coal, produce sulfate aerosols. Air density The ratio of the mass of a substance to the volume occupied by it. Air density is usually expressed as g/cm3 or kg/m3. Also See Density. Air pressure The pressure exerted by the mass of air above a given point, usually expressed in millibars (mb), inches of (atmospheric mercury (Hg) or in hectopascals (hPa). pressure) Atmosphere The envelope of gases that surround a planet and are held to it by the planet's gravitational attraction. The earth's atmosphere is mainly nitrogen and oxygen. Carbon dioxide (CO2) A colorless, odorless gas whose concentration is about 0.039 percent (390 ppm) in a volume of air near sea level. It is a selective absorber of infrared radiation and, consequently, it is important in the earth's atmospheric greenhouse effect. Solid CO2 is called dry ice. Climate The accumulation of daily and seasonal weather events over a long period of time. Front The transition zone between two distinct air masses. Hurricane A tropical cyclone having winds in excess of 64 knots (74 mi/hr). Ionosphere An electrified region of the upper atmosphere where fairly large concentrations of ions and free electrons exist. Lapse rate The rate at which an atmospheric variable (usually temperature) decreases with height. (See Environmental lapse rate.) Mesosphere The atmospheric layer between the stratosphere and the thermosphere.
    [Show full text]
  • Storm Spotting – Solidifying the Basics PROFESSOR PAUL SIRVATKA COLLEGE of DUPAGE METEOROLOGY Focus on Anticipating and Spotting
    Storm Spotting – Solidifying the Basics PROFESSOR PAUL SIRVATKA COLLEGE OF DUPAGE METEOROLOGY HTTP://WEATHER.COD.EDU Focus on Anticipating and Spotting • What do you look for? • What will you actually see? • Can you identify what is going on with the storm? Is Gilbert married? Hmmmmm….rumor has it….. Its all about the updraft! Not that easy! • Various types of storms and storm structures. • A tornado is a “big sucky • Obscuration of important thing” and underneath the features make spotting updraft is where it forms. difficult. • So find the updraft! • The closer you are to a storm the more difficult it becomes to make these identifications. Conceptual models Reality is much harder. Basic Conceptual Model Sometimes its easy! North Central Illinois, 2-28-17 (Courtesy of Matt Piechota) Other times, not so much. Reality usually is far more complicated than our perfect pictures Rain Free Base Dusty Outflow More like reality SCUD Scattered Cumulus Under Deck Sigh...wall clouds! • Wall clouds help spotters identify where the updraft of a storm is • Wall clouds may or may not be present with tornadic storms • Wall clouds may be seen with any storm with an updraft • Wall clouds may or may not be rotating • Wall clouds may or may not result in tornadoes • Wall clouds should not be reported unless there is strong and easily observable rotation noted • When a clear slot is observed, a well written or transmitted report should say as much Characteristics of a Tornadic Wall Cloud • Surface-based inflow • Rapid vertical motion (scud-sucking) • Persistent • Persistent rotation Clear Slot • The key, however, is the development of a clear slot Prof.
    [Show full text]
  • Explaining the Trends and Variability in the United States Tornado Records
    www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Explaining the trends and variability in the United States tornado records using climate teleconnections and shifts in observational practices Niloufar Nouri1*, Naresh Devineni1,2*, Valerie Were2 & Reza Khanbilvardi1,2 The annual frequency of tornadoes during 1950–2018 across the major tornado-impacted states were examined and modeled using anthropogenic and large-scale climate covariates in a hierarchical Bayesian inference framework. Anthropogenic factors include increases in population density and better detection systems since the mid-1990s. Large-scale climate variables include El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Pacifc Decadal Oscillation (PDO), Arctic Oscillation (AO), and Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO). The model provides a robust way of estimating the response coefcients by considering pooling of information across groups of states that belong to Tornado Alley, Dixie Alley, and Other States, thereby reducing their uncertainty. The infuence of the anthropogenic factors and the large-scale climate variables are modeled in a nested framework to unravel secular trend from cyclical variability. Population density explains the long-term trend in Dixie Alley. The step-increase induced due to the installation of the Doppler Radar systems explains the long-term trend in Tornado Alley. NAO and the interplay between NAO and ENSO explained the interannual to multi-decadal variability in Tornado Alley. PDO and AMO are also contributing to this multi-time scale variability. SOI and AO explain the cyclical variability in Dixie Alley. This improved understanding of the variability and trends in tornadoes should be of immense value to public planners, businesses, and insurance-based risk management agencies.
    [Show full text]
  • STORM DOCTOR a Storm Chasing Physician’S First-Hand Account
    JOURNAL OF Civi lDEFENSE VOLUME 45 2012 ISSUE STORM DOCTOR A Storm Chasing Physician’s First-Hand Account CIVIL DEFENSE REDUX - It’s Back Psychology of Survival ANOTHER WAY TO BE PREPARED Social Media Lessons from the Joplin, Missouri Tornado Ways YOU Can Help PROTECTING FUEL SUPPLIES Preserve and Restore Your Fuel Supply NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN CLEAN, SAFE, WATER AQUA RAIN Ceramic Water Filtration Systems for Emergencies The AquaRain® Natural Water Filter will pro - vide your family and loved ones with lab - oratory proven safe drinking water without electricity, without plumbing, and without pressure or chemical pre-treatments. Its patented space-age ceram - ic technology positive - ly removes danger - As low As ous living organ - $ .96 isms and harmful 184 bacteria from your drinking water 1-800-425-5397 naturally, using micro-filtration and gravity. Here is what may be the best VISIT OUR STORE AT part. The AquaRain® can produce quali - ty drinking water for less than 2¢ per gallon! www.tacda.org JOURNAL OF Civil DEFENSE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dr. GarY M. Sandquist (President) Sharon Packer (Secretary, Treasurer) JaY R. WhimpeY William D. Perkins Dr. Gerald LooneY IN TH IS ISSUE Bronius Cikotas Dr. Charles CoX Dr. TammY TaYlor Storm Doctor 3 By Jason Persoff, M.D. ADVISORS . Paul SeYfried Is Your Vehicle Prepared? 10 By D6 Survivor Chuck FenWick Dr. Jane Orient Michael G. BaZinet 5 Reasons Why Beans Should be a Staple Dr. Landon Beales 11 in Your Food Storage Dr. Dane Dickson 6 By Jodie and Julie (www.foodstoragemadeeasy.net) Sid Ogden Jonathan Jones KYlene Jones Civil Defense Redux Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Spring Winter Summer Autumn
    • Always drive on good, properly inflated issouri is a state of four seasons tires. and each season has its own unique road conditions. Missouri driving • Know and obey all traffic laws. cannot be categorized entirely into spring, summer, autumn, or winter. Nature some- • Be ready to adjust your speed to be ap- times mixes our four seasons together, and propriate for constantly changing driving this can cause problems when we travel. conditions. This brochure has been prepared to give you some tips on how to handle our Finally, let’s all work together, so fewer many varied driving conditions. people will become traffic crash statistics on Missouri’s highways. Spring Buckle Up Missouri! • Never drive when you have been drink- ing alcoholic beverages. Summer • Never ride with someone who has been drinking. • If medication directions indicate you should not drive after taking it, don’t do Feel free to call the it. Road Condition Report Hotline at: Produced by: Public Information and Education Division • Have a good attitude when you drive. Be Published by: Autumn patient with others. 1-888-275-6636 Missouri State Highway Patrol 1510 East Elm Street • Give driving your full attention. Behind Or, check the Patrol’s Jefferson City, MO 65101 the wheel is no place to read, put on 573-751-3313 makeup, or talk on the cell phone. web site at: V/TDD 573-751-3313 email: [email protected] • How about those eyes? Don’t be vain. If www.mshp.dps.mo.gov www.mshp.dps.mo.gov Winter you need glasses, wear them.
    [Show full text]
  • Storm-Chasers.Pdf
    By Jim Aaron Vocabulary apprentice atmosphere chemical club essay manufacturing pressure scales Word count: 1,585 Note: The total word count includes words in the running text and headings only. Numerals and words in chapter titles, captions, labels, diagrams, charts, graphs, sidebars, and extra features are not included. Storm Chasers By Jim Aaron Glenview, Illinois • Boston, Massachusetts • Chandler, Arizona • Upper Saddle River, New Jersey Photographs Every effort has been made to secure permission and provide appropriate credit for photographic material. The publisher deeply regrets any omission and pledges to correct errors called to its attention in subsequent editions. Unless otherwise acknowledged, all photographs are the property of Pearson Education, Inc. Photo locators denoted as follows: Top (T), Center (C), Bottom (B), Left (L), Right (R), Background (Bkgd) Opener ©A.T. Willett/Alamy Images; 1 ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy; 4 World Perspectives/ Taxi/Getty Images; 5 (Inset) ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy, (Bkgd) Doug Allan/Getty Images; 6 NOAA; 7 (T) David J. Phillip/©AP Images, (B) Marko Georgiev/Getty Images; 8 United States Department of the Interior; 9 NOAA; 10 NOAA; 11 Richard Cooke / Alamy Images; 12 Roger Ressmeyer/Corbis; 13 (Inset) ©Reuters/Corbis, (T) National Hurricane Cente/AFP/Getty Images; 14 (T) NOAA, (B) Wilfredo Lee/©AP Images; 15 Jim Reed/ Corbis; 16 Everett Collection, Inc.; 18 Jim West/Alamy Images; 19 Jupiter Images. ISBN 13: 978-0-328-51648-3 ISBN 10: 0-328-51648-1 Copyright © by Pearson Education, Inc., or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. This publication is protected by copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise.
    [Show full text]
  • Enhanced Storm Investigation
    Enhanced Storm Investigation . National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan, WI www.weather.gov/milwaukee www.facebook.com/US.NationalWeatherService.Milwaukee.gov twitter.com/NWSMKX Storm Chasing NWS“We’re does going not to die, encourage we’re going storm to die” chasing. screaming This heard is aon Oklahoma Highway Patrol radio before they were killed. dangerousTim Samaras and was potentially found strapped fatal in endeavor.the car. Other victims were discovered 1/2 mile east and 1/2 mile west of the car. The following images show what happened to professional chases supported by The Weather Channel and National Geographic Example: May 31, 2013 El Reno, OK Tornado Personal Safety Video This was a weak tornado – what about a strong or violent tornado? Convection Basics • Moisture • Instability • Lift • Wind Shear (for severe storms) “Triggering” Mechanisms • Starts the convection – Low pressure systems/Jet ‘s – Air mass boundaries, Fronts – Sea/Lake Breeze – Thunderstorm ‘outflow boundaries’ – Orographic lift 6 Lake Breeze Kettle Moraine June 30, 2011 Video Four Types of Thunderstorms Weak updraft Moderate Moderate Intense updraft (non-severe updraft (non- updraft (non- (Always severe) or severe) severe severe or severe) or severe) Mesocyclone - National National Service Weather Property and Lives Protecting Rotating updraft Slight threat Moderate Moderate High threat threat threat “Squall Line” Single Cell Storms May produce brief severe weather Multi-Cell Thunderstorms Ordinary, non-organized storms with low severe threat Each cell
    [Show full text]
  • A Review of Droughts in the African Continent: a Geospatial and Long
    Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | Open Access Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., 11, 2679–2718, 2014 Hydrology and www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci-discuss.net/11/2679/2014/ Earth System doi:10.5194/hessd-11-2679-2014 © Author(s) 2014. CC Attribution 3.0 License. Sciences Discussions This discussion paper is/has been under review for the journal Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (HESS). Please refer to the corresponding final paper in HESS if available. A review of droughts in the African continent: a geospatial and long-term perspective I. Masih1, S. Maskey1, F. E. F. Mussá1,2, and P. Trambauer1 1UNESCO-IHE, Institute for Water Education, P.O. Box 3015, 2601 DA Delft, the Netherlands 2Eduardo Mondlane University, Faculty of Engineering, Av. de Moçambique km 1.5, C. Postal 257, Maputo, Mozambique Received: 31 January 2014 – Accepted: 3 February 2014 – Published: 6 March 2014 Correspondence to: I. Masih ([email protected]) Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. 2679 Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | Abstract This paper presents a comprehensive review and analysis of the available literature and information on droughts to build a continental, regional and country level perspective on geospatial and temporal variation of droughts in Africa. The study is based on 5 the review and analysis of droughts occurred during 1900–2013 as well as evidence available from past centuries based on studies on the lake sediment analysis, tree- ring chronologies and written and oral histories and future predictions from the global climate change models.
    [Show full text]