Weather phenomenon triggers intense rainfall that leads to flash floods
COLUMBIA, Mo. – According to the National Weather Service, more than 125 people die from flash floods every year. Flash floods often arise from a weather phenomenon known as an “elevated convection,” which causes intense thunderstorms that lead to flash flooding. However, scientists do not have a strong understanding of what causes these elevated storms. A team of researchers at the University of Missouri will deploy to eastern Kansas and western Missouri to study this phenomenon throughout the spring. (more…)
Students use tornado-chasing technology to research rain’s impact on stream
COLUMBIA, Mo. – With advances in meteorology technology, predicting storms is becoming easier than in the past. While most meteorology students learn about these new technologies in the classroom and don’t get a chance to use sophisticated equipment until they are on the job, a group of University of Missouri students were able to test a mobile weather tracking device, Doppler on Wheels (DOW), made famous by shows such as Discovery Channel’s Storm Chasers.
The DOW visiting MU is one of a fleet of radar trucks maintained by the Center for Severe Storm Research. Each radar truck is mounted with a Doppler weather radar dish. The fleet also consists of a support vehicle and three trucks that deploy instruments to track weather patterns in tornadoes and hurricanes. One of the radar trucks was brought to MU so that students could learn about the technology first-hand. (more…)
