Tornado Alley may have just gotten a little safer, thanks to researchers at a couple of Midwestern universities.
For the first time, tornado chasers were able to fly an unmanned aircraft (or UA, for short) into the most severe type of thunderstorm, known as a "supercell" storm. This kind of thunderstorm is the least common, but it usually causes the most damage because it brings with it strong winds, heavy rain and damaging hail, not to mention the occasional tornado.
A massive, 100-strong researcher project called VORTEX2 is working to understand the atmospheric conditions that characterize these storms. From the data gathered, scientists will be able to create more precise storm models that predict tornado development and ultimately offer early warning systems for people in the storm's path.
On May 6, faculty and students from the University of Colorado and the University of Nebraska successfully flew the aircraft, the Tempest, through a supercell storm for 44 minutes.
Until this test flight, researchers weren't even sure that UAs could be used to measure conditions in this severe a storm, as Discovery News reported last month. But tests from the May 6 flight show that UAs may prove to be an effective and safe way to explore those darkening clouds on the horizon.
During the test flight, the 10-foot-wide unmanned planes was strapped down with a variety of sensors designed to measure humidity, temperature, wind speed and other variables.It was tethered via a WiFi connection to a ground control station and a tracker vehicle, which monitored the Tempest's GPS position, health and status and the real-time meteorological data it was recording. A scout vehicle drove ahead to be sure that roads were passable, and that the Tempest didn't fly into areas that had hail or heavy precipitation.
VORTEX2 will be using Tempest for ongoing studies this tornado season until June 15.
Photo: Jack Elston
Tags: Aviation, Sensors, Tornadoes, Unmanned Autonomous Vehicles
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