Scientific Colloquium
January 20, 2016, 3:30 p.m., Building 3 Auditorium

"How to Make a Tornado: Ideas Emerging from Decades of Theory, Simulation, and Field Observations "  

I will examine the mechanisms of tornadogenesis within atmospheric convection, particularly supercell thunderstorms, which are responsible for virtually all strong tornadoes. I also will discuss some of the ideas emerging from the recently completely Second Verification of the Origin of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment (VORTEX2), as well as directions for future research.

About the Speaker:

Paul Markowski is a Professor of Meteorology at the Pennsylvania State University, where he specializes in severe storms research. He is the recipient of the AMS' Meisinger Award, the NWA’s Fujita Award, the ESSL’s Dotzek Award, the AMS Editor’s Award, and NSF’s CAREER Award. He also co-organized the second Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment (VORTEX2), has co-authored a textbook (Mesoscale Meteorology in Midlatitudes), and serves as Chief Editor of Weather and Forecasting.

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