Public Presentation on February 16

LYNDON STATE HOSTS DOPPLER ON WHEELS

February 2, 2012

A state-of-the-art truck-mounted weather radar, Doppler on Wheels (DOW), makes a rare return visit to the Lyndon State College campus from January 30 through February 17, 2012. The Boulder, Colorado based Center for Severe Weather Research (CSWR) operates the DOW truck-mounted mobile radars as a National Science Foundation facility.

The system will be used as an experiential learning tool by the students and faculty in the College’s Atmospheric Sciences department. Students in the Remote Sensing class will use the instruments to learn how weather radar works and how to collect good data. They will also receive hands-on experience in finding the ideal site for measuring precipitation. A National Science Foundation grant funds the department’s use of the DOW.

DOW’s are used extensively in storm chasing, observing more than 100 tornadoes at close range and have intercepted the eyes of many hurricanes. Their mobility also allows them to move to locations free from ground clutter for clearer readings than stationary radars can provide. Many people are familiar with the DOW from the Discovery Channel’s “Storm Chasers” and the National Geographic Channel’s “Tornado Intercept” and “The True Face of Hurricanes.”

On February 16th, the public is invited to hear Dr. Karen Kosiba from the CSWR discuss DOW-based tornado and hurricane research. Dr. Kosiba, an atmospheric scientist, has been on “Storm Chasers” and in the IMAX film “Tornado Alley.” The free, hour-long presentation begins at 12:30 in Academic and Student Activity Center room 100.

For more information on the DOW’s residency at Lyndon, please contact Professor Nolan Atkins at (802) 626-6238.