Nebraska Leads TORUS Storm Chasing Research
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08/20/2019
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The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is leading the most ambitious drone-based investigation of severe storms and tornadoes ever conducted. The project will exceed $2.5 million, with the National Science Foundation awarding a three-year, $2.4 million grant and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration providing additional financial support. The project aims to improve severe weather forecasting.
https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/nebraska-researchers-to-lead-largest-drone-based-study-of-storms/
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- [00:00:00.439](lightning cracks)
- [00:00:02.410]It's a Nebraska evening and the storm rolls in.
- [00:00:06.450]It was really just an incredible experience and--
- [00:00:09.080]Jamie Foote remembers it well.
- [00:00:10.923]The University of Nebraska Lincoln senior,
- [00:00:13.540]spent part of her summer chasing storms.
- [00:00:17.090]The very first day, we are in the storm in Cook, Nebraska
- [00:00:22.400]and we go and transect the storm,
- [00:00:24.690]come back out and go on this road.
- [00:00:26.390]Then this giant tornado comes down right next to us
- [00:00:29.370]and I'm like, "Oh my gosh, this is amazing."
- [00:00:32.380]And it was breathtaking.
- [00:00:33.880]Armed with high-tech equipment and drones,
- [00:00:36.810]the team covered 9,000 miles in five states
- [00:00:40.640]on the trail of supercells.
- [00:00:43.110](thunder crashes)
- [00:00:43.990]A supercell thunderstorm is a thunderstorm
- [00:00:46.210]that possesses storm scale rotation.
- [00:00:50.320]So this is not a tornado but this is larger scale rotation.
- [00:00:53.310]This is literally the scale of the storm itself.
- [00:00:55.950]It also tends to produce the largest hail.
- [00:00:58.470]It tends to produce the most damaging tornadoes.
- [00:01:00.780]So these are storms that are important
- [00:01:03.800]for the people who are affected by them.
- [00:01:06.460](rain pours)
- [00:01:07.670]The goal of the research
- [00:01:09.020]is to better understand these powerful storms,
- [00:01:12.200]especially the ones that produce tornadoes.
- [00:01:15.173]By improving our understanding,
- [00:01:16.611]we can translate that to improved forecasting.
- [00:01:19.350]The UNL led TORUS project involves more than
- [00:01:22.510]50 scientists from four institutions.
- [00:01:25.410]TORUS stands for Targeted Observation by Radars
- [00:01:28.860]and Unmanned Aircraft Systems of Supercells.
- [00:01:31.949]This contains the temperature and humidity sensors.
- [00:01:35.470]SUV's are fitted with instrumentation
- [00:01:38.080]used to collect data.
- [00:01:39.740]Then up on top, we have where we're
- [00:01:41.910]measuring wind speed and direction.
- [00:01:43.688](winds blows)
- [00:01:45.263](drone squeals)
- [00:01:47.710]Four drones and a manned aircraft
- [00:01:49.900]provide another view of the storms.
- [00:01:52.750]The drones are important because with these vehicles,
- [00:01:55.090]we're only taking measurements at the surface.
- [00:01:57.610]We don't know what's going on higher up in the storm.
- [00:02:00.980]So, having the drones in conjunction with these vehicles,
- [00:02:04.950]we know what's going on both at the surface
- [00:02:06.900]and slightly higher in the storm.
- [00:02:09.480]To really dig into the structures of these storms,
- [00:02:12.700]and relate the ones that produce tornadoes
- [00:02:14.390]to the ones that don't produce tornadoes.
- [00:02:16.660]Call me crazy, but I love it. (laughs)
- [00:02:18.830]Students like Faye Shanti
- [00:02:20.480]gain experience in the field
- [00:02:22.450]while contributing to important research.
- [00:02:25.200]I'm normally the driver.
- [00:02:28.280]I enjoy being able to keep everyone safe
- [00:02:31.430]while we're in the storm area
- [00:02:33.440]and I also enjoy being able to
- [00:02:35.260]just be a part of gathering this data
- [00:02:37.040]and to be a part of that,
- [00:02:38.300]is something that's just truly amazing.
- [00:02:40.260]Funding for the TORUS project
- [00:02:41.780]comes from the National Science Foundation
- [00:02:44.090]and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
- [00:02:47.840]Scientists hope to reduce the number
- [00:02:50.070]of false alarm tornado warnings
- [00:02:52.220]and improve the technology used for weather forecasting.
- [00:02:56.221](drone wails)
- [00:02:58.210]The technology we use, particularly the unmanned aircraft,
- [00:03:00.510]the drone technology, could someday be used
- [00:03:04.560]in the next generation meteorological surveillance network.
- [00:03:07.820]As we advance our understanding
- [00:03:10.020]of how to use these aircraft,
- [00:03:11.660]not just the understanding of the storm itself,
- [00:03:13.300]but how to use these aircraft,
- [00:03:14.490]we can contribute to that conversation.
- [00:03:16.431](lightning cracks)
- [00:03:18.030]A Nebraska thunderstorm is nothing new
- [00:03:21.070]but understanding what's behind and inside that storm
- [00:03:25.220]could help save lives.
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