Measurements of Wind Speeds in Tornadoes with a Portable Doppler Radar

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Estimates of maximum wind speeds in tornadoes has been made from theoretical calculations and through indirect means such as structural damage. To date, however, direct verification of these speeds has been sparse. Some measurements have been made by stationary research Doppler radars, but the sample size is small and due to radar horizon problems, no measurements are available near the ground. In conjunction with a scientist from the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Principal Investigator will use a small portable Doppler radar to approach tornadoes at a safe, but close, range and measure wind velocities in the tornado and its near environment. Even though tornadoes are rare events, the Principal Investigator, working with NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory, has been very successful in the past in intercepting tornadic storms. The collected data will be compared with predictions from various theories of tornadic formation and will provide, for the first time, direct verification or refutation of some of these theories.