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Largest High-Tech Tornado Chase Set To Begin

Posted by kdawson on from the just-a-big-blowhard dept.

coondoggie writes "Next month, with the help of a variety of high-tech gear, researchers will begin a wide-ranging project to better understand the origin, structure and evolution of tornadoes. The National Science Foundation has given $9.1 million to the project called Vortex2 (of course it has a convoluted backronym), which will take place from May 10-June 13. Researchers say Vortex2 is the largest attempt in history to study tornadoes, and will involve more than 50 scientists, 40 research vehicles, and 10 mobile radars, and will cover 900 square miles in southern South Dakota, western Iowa, eastern Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, the Texas panhandle, and western Oklahoma."

13 of 112 comments (clear)

  1. Dorthy? by flipper9 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Will this be the Dorthy I or the Dorthy II?

    1. Re:Dorthy? by SnarfQuest · · Score: 3, Funny

      They should have made it cow shaped. In the movie, the cows had no problem getting picked up by tornados.

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  2. Watch out for by quangdog · · Score: 5, Funny

    The flying cows!

  3. We have a cow by longhairedgnome · · Score: 1, Funny

    We've got two cows!

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  4. So long as... by smooth+wombat · · Score: 2, Funny

    yelling guy isn't involved, I'll be happy.

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  5. $9.1M to teach us... by sureshot007 · · Score: 3, Funny

    that tornadoes are attracted to mobile homes?

    1. Re:$9.1M to teach us... by yodleboy · · Score: 4, Funny

      "if you're dumb enough to live in tornado alley"

      so what you're implying is we should just depopulate large areas of the country because of the risk of a natural/weather disaster? while we're at it let's get everyone off the west coast (earthquakes), hawaii (volcanic eruption), the east coast and gulf (hurricanes), the north and north east (blizzards). looks like the entire country is filled with idiots...

      at that point we're either mexican or canadian, pick one.

    2. Re:$9.1M to teach us... by geobeck · · Score: 2, Funny

      looks like the entire country is filled with idiots...

      I didn't bother reading the rest of your comment, but that should be modded either +1 Insightful or -1 Obvious. ;)

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  6. Re:What, no discovery special? by sunking2 · · Score: 2, Funny

    You're saying you enjoy being a webdev? Wow

  7. Where'd the water go? by SixArmedJesus · · Score: 2, Funny

    I just hope they don't use it near any pools.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqzlDj0N47g

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    *slight crashing sound*
  8. Use a tank by hedleyroos · · Score: 4, Funny

    Why don't they just study tornados by driving straight into one with an Abrams or Challenger tank? All the armor research has already been done for the storm chasers. Plus you'll probably get thermal imaging as a freebie.

    1. Re:Use a tank by Samschnooks · · Score: 3, Funny

      They do have a vehicle for that. It's called the TIV or Tornado Intercept Vehicle. I live in the Midwest (one of the states mentioned above) and we heard (and saw) that the TIV was passing by last May when a F2 tornado tore through city. If your curious, the vehicle is featured on a show called Storm Chasers on Discovery. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tornado_Intercept_Vehicle

      Yeah, but, can you SHOOT the tornado? I don't think so!

  9. I was going to say I didn't understand by Cornwallis · · Score: 2, Funny

    why they need high-tech to study tomatoes when anyone can make a passable BLT. Then I read it again. I do need new glasses.