CURRENT HIGHLIGHT

The Tornado Research Team seeks to improve our understanding of severe, convective storms and attendant phenomena through the use of advanced numerical simulation. Specific problems this research will address include the following

FEATURE

WRF output at 19Z on 18 March 1925. The plot displays simulated radar reflectivity. Many recognize this date as the occurance of the famous "Tri-State Tornado". The Tornado Research Team is currently studying simulations of the evolving environmental conditions that may have supported this long-track tornado. The model was initialized with 3-D atmospheric conditions from the 20th Century Reanalysis Project. Using only surface pressure as input, the reanalysis uses NCEP's operational global Climate Forecast System model to recreate an ensemble of possible 3-D atmospheric states (Compo et al. 2006, 2009; Whitaker er al. 2004).

For more information, read "Simulations of the Supercell Outbreak of 18 March 1925" in our publication section.

PAST HIGHLIGHT

Hunt for the Supertwister, released on the PBS TV series NOVA in March 2004, included several minutes of visualization from a numerical simulation of a tornadic supercell. The simulation, conducted by members of the Convective Modeling Group in collaboration with Lou Wicker of the National Severe Storms Laboratory, was transformed via state-of-the-art scientific visualization by NCSA's Visualization and Experimental Technologies Group into a stunning virtual storm chase. Additional information on visualizations generated through this project is available from Access. The simulated storm generated a long-lived tornado-like circulation, unprecedented in depth and longevity, which members of the team are investigating in pursuit of a greater understanding of the tornadogenesis process.