Tornado Alley Outreach Tour
By: Drew Moore
Updated: March 8, 2013
JOPLIN, MO.--- More than 150 7th grade students at Joplin North Middle School get a hands on lesson in storm chasing, seeing a 15,000 pound truck and learning about mobile radars. The program is called the "Tornado Alley Outreach Tour," and was sponsored by the National Science Foundation, and the Missouri Math and Science Coalition.
Researchers use the mobile radar to be able to detect, and record, changes in weather which could lead to the formation of a tornado. Their 15,000 pound armored truck is designed to be driven into the path of a twister, and record data from inside of the funnel. Tornado experts say the technology is helping save lives when a tornado touches down, but there is still a lot that needs to be learned.
"We now have fairly accurate warnings. We have lead time on the warnings, people can get some shelter, but our warnings aren't as accurate as they need to be and we still occasionally miss tornados," says Don Burgess, Research Scientist, University of Oklahoma.
The research team will have their equipment on hand, and they are showing a movie at the Billinglsey Student Center on the campus of MSSU tonight at 7.
Researchers use the mobile radar to be able to detect, and record, changes in weather which could lead to the formation of a tornado. Their 15,000 pound armored truck is designed to be driven into the path of a twister, and record data from inside of the funnel. Tornado experts say the technology is helping save lives when a tornado touches down, but there is still a lot that needs to be learned.
"We now have fairly accurate warnings. We have lead time on the warnings, people can get some shelter, but our warnings aren't as accurate as they need to be and we still occasionally miss tornados," says Don Burgess, Research Scientist, University of Oklahoma.
The research team will have their equipment on hand, and they are showing a movie at the Billinglsey Student Center on the campus of MSSU tonight at 7.
