HomeMy WebLinkAboutPair delves into tornado dangers 1981 Par •
r delves into tornado d anger
COLLEGE STATION — The number of tornadoes even though January and computers in Colorado to There is not enough good
As the peak tornado season in Texas rises dramatically February are the least ma thematically examine measurement information,
rapidly approaches, Texas in March and hits a peak likely months for the the forces that combine to to prove or disprove many
A &M University mete- during April, May and storms to occur, according form a tornado. hypotheses regarding the
orologists — using com- June, when twisters may to weather records. They say such an ap- storms."
pi7ters to study the killer average as many as one a Dr. Phanindramohan proach can provide valu- Proctor said the com-
storms — warn that judg- day across the state. Das and Fred Proctor, a able insights into the puter model of twister
ing a twister only by the Tornadoes have already graduate student working storms which may help structure has already
appearance of a funnel can killed two persons and in- on his Ph.D., use informa- people construct safer shown that in theory,
be deadly. jured half a dozen this year tion from government buildings, make better tornadoes can. begin to
emergency decisions and form within a field of vor-
perhaps even improve tex motion if special tem-
twister forecasts in the fu perature and precipitation
lure. circumstances exist.
Proctor's model —
worked out on computers Proctor said that theory
at the National Center for has been substantiated by
Atmospheric Research in field studies on water-
Boulder with support from spouts in which the surface
the National Science of the sea is seen to swirl �.
Foundation — suggests the More the funnel descends
public shouldn't judge a, a significant distance from
tornado by the appearance the clouds.
of a funnel alone because
there may be a swirling The Texas A &M model
vortex at ground level well studies indicate that the
before the funnel touches vortex structure and the
down. drop of barometric pres-
If their theory is correct, sure inside a tornado can
it seems likely that most vary greatly with the lay of
tornadoes form at the same the land, important vari-
time in the clouds and on ables for forecasters and
the ground. They do not emergency preparedness
"drop" from the clouds as officials to know.
many people believe, ac-
cording to the scientists. "There are a lot of
"As the vortex intent- inferences about tornadoes
fies at ground level, the that are mostly specula -
pressure inside lowers and tion. The base of knowledge
the funnel cloud expands and these inferences can be
while developing in a heightened by a study like
downward direction," said this," said Das. "It is a
Das. powerful tool which can
help fill the gap between
"Observations of dust observation and infer -
and debris at the surface ence."
just below a funnel cloud
seem to support this view,"
he explained.
The fundamental tool
or instrument of science is
measurement," said Das,
an associate professor.
"But the amount of infor-
mation we have on torna-
does is extremely small.