Tornado Vortex Signature Detector - 03/23/97
Hi Jerry, This is a transcript of the text of the segment of "ABC's World News Tonight" that dealt with tornado sound as a means of detection. The physical device looks like an old wagon wheel without the outer rim, just the center hub and spokes. The center is what looks like a 1-foot long section of 10" diameter schedule 40 PVC pipe with a cap. From the sides radiate 12 hoses, each approximately 20 feet long. Read the text and form a mental image of it, then think about what it and a cloudbuster have in common. Enjoy! - Chuck...
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 1997 09:39:58 -0600
To: chenders@keelynet.com
From: Walt Zwirko
Subject: Re: ABC World News Tonight (3/18/97) - Forwarded Chuck... Here is a transcript of the World News Tonight report from ABC. Sorry, but as of the moment, ABC News doesn't yet have an e-mail address (although you can check www.abc.com because I think they're about to provide that feature soon).
Solutions: Predicting Tornados with Sound
N/S of Bill Blakemore Package for World News Tonight Supers: - Prof. Al Bedard/NOAA Environmental Technology
Script:
Reporter: TORNADOES ARE THE MOST VIOLENT CONCENTRATION NATS: roar THEY'RE ESPECIALLY DEADLY BECAUSE THEY USUALLY HIT WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING, SOUNDING TO THE HUMAN EAR LIKE A HUNDRED FREIGHT TRAINS. Nats: "roooaaarrr!" BUT IT TURNS OUT, THEY ALSO MAKE ANOTHER SOUND. Nats: "WEEEooouuuWEEEEooouuuWEEEooou" THAT SOUND WAS DISCOVERED BY PROFESSOR AL BEDARD IN COLORADO USING THIS CONTRAPTION. SOT: BEDARD: "THINK OF THIS AS A LARGE OVERGROWN EAR." Reporter: HE MADE IT OUT OF SOME GARDEN HOSES, EACH CONNECTED TO A MICROPHONE AT THE CENTER. SOT: BEDARD: "SOUND WAVES GO RIGHT THROUGH THE WALLS OF THE TUBE AND THEN GO RIGHT DOWN THE TUBE TO THE SENSOR." Reporter: AND FROM THERE TO SOME SOPHISTICATED COMPUTERS. THEY AMPLIFY THE NEW TORNADO SOUND, HE'S DISCOVERED, WHICH IS OTHERWISE TOO LOW FOR HUMAN EARS. Real Tornado w/ nats: "WAAAouououWAAAoou" THE FIRST TORNADO HE EVER HEARD THIS WAY WAS JUST STARTING TO FORM OUT OF SIGHT, UP IN THE CLOUDS. SOT BEDARD: "WE DETECTED IT HALF AN HOUR BEFORE THE FUNNEL WAS ON THE GROUND." Reporter: THAT'S A MAJOR DISCOVERY. IT'S MUCH MORE WARNING TIME THAN THE MOST ADVANCED RADAR USUALLY PROVIDES, SO IT COULD SAVE THOUSANDS OF LIVES. BEDARD HAS ALSO CARRIED HIS STUDY OF TORNADO SOUND INTO THE LABORATORY. Nats: The sound Reporter: THAT'S THE SOUND YOU'RE STUDYING? SOT BEDARD: "THAT'S THE SOUND WE'RE STUDYING." Reporter: BY CREATING WATER FUNNELS, BEDARD DISCOVERED WHY TORNADOES MAKE CERTAIN SOUNDS. SOT: BEDARD: YOU COULD THINK OF THIS AS A 3-DIMENSIONAL LOUDSPEAKER IN A SENSE -- THAT A TORNADO COULD BE EXPANDING AND CONTRACTING, AND, IN TURN, CREATING SOUND WAVES. Reporter: ALL ANY SOUNDMAKER DOES - A GONG, A LOUD SPEAKER -, IS PUSH AGAINST THE AIR, WHICH GETS CONDENSED, SENDING WAVES ON THEIR WAY. WHEN WAVES GET TOO INFREQUENT, THE TONE GETS TOO LOW FOR HUMANS TO HEAR, BUT SOME ANIMALS STILL CAN, AND, BEDARD'S COMPUTER. HE'S PICKING UP SEVERAL DEEP SOUNDS FROM FUNNELS AND THINKS THOSE RIPPLES ON THE SURFACE MAY BE MAKING SOME OF THEM. SOT: BEDARD: NOTICE THE CORRUGATIONS AND THE INSTABILITIES MOVING UP AND DOWN THE CORE, AND THEY'RE QUITE SIMILAR TO THINGS THAT I'VE SEEN IN A LOT OF VIDEO OF TORNADOES. BLAKEMORE ON-CAMERA: WHY WOULD A FUNNEL THAT'S GOT RIPPLES IN IT MAKE SOUND? WELL, IF YOU BLOW AIR THROUGH A TUBE THAT'S COMPLETELY SMOOTH, NOTHING." BUT BLOW AIR THROUGH A TUBE THAT'S CORRUGATED, SO THE AIR HAS TO TRIP OVER EACH OF THESE RIPPLES, MUSIC. IN THE SAME WAY, WINDS BLOWING UP OR DOWN ON THE BIG RIPPLES IN TORNADOES COULD BE MAKING DEEP SOUNDS. SINCE THESE SOUNDS COULD GREATLY IMPROVE EARLY WARNING, BEDARD IS STUDYING HOW BEST TO DEPLOY HIS DEVICES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AND THEY'BE BEGUN TO PICK UP OTHER DANGERS: SOUND FROM THE INVISIBLE CLEAR-AIR TURBULENCE THAT FORMS ABOVE MOUNTAINS -- AND IS SO DANGEROUS TO AIRPLANES. THEY'VE EVEN FOUND THEY CAN HEAR METEORS AS THEY PUSH INTO THE ATMOSPHERE FROM OUTER SPACE. BUT THE MOST IMMEDIATE BENEFIT OF LEARNING TO HEAR THIS INAUDIBLE SOUND MAY BE TO ROB TORNADOES OF AT LEAST SOME OF THEIR SURPRISE SO WE HAVE A BETTER CHANCE TO MAKE IT TO SAFETY. BILL BLAKEMORE, ABC NEWS, Walt Zwirko
OF ENERGY IN THE ATMOSPHERE.
Director of Website Development
WFAA-TV News
wzwirko@wfaa.com
http://www.wfaa.com
Also see Artificial Cyclones to clear Smog