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Science Blog ZINC PROJECTS

Extensive tornado study begins in central U.S.

Date: 10-May-09
Author: University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

The largest and most ambitious tornado study in history will begin next week, as dozens of scientists deploy radars and other ground-based instruments across the Great Plains to gain a better understanding of these often-deadly weather events.

The collaborative international project, involving scientists from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and a number of other organizations, will examine in detail how tornadoes form and the patterns of damage they cause. The findings are expected to improve tornado warnings and short-term severe weather forecasts.

The field campaign, known as VORTEX2 (Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes EXperiment 2), will run from May 10 to June 13, 2009. A second phase is planned for the spring of 2010.

A rapid-scan version of the Doppler on Wheels portable radar, built by NCAR and collaborators, probed a tornado near Stratford, Texas, on May 15, 2003. Courtesy: University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.

The US $11.9 million VORTEX2 program is funded primarily by the National Science Foundation, which sponsors NCAR, and by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Full story: World's Largest Tornado Experiment Heads for Great Plains