NSSL News Briefs

NSSL scientists publish book The Electrical Nature of Storms

Oxford University Press has just published a new graduate textbook by two NSSL scientists, Don MacGorman and Dave Rust. Their book, The Electrical Nature of Storms, provides a comprehensive, modern treatment of electrical processes of thunderstorms. In recent years, new technologies have led both to dramatic advances in knowledge of these processes and to increasing use of lightning-mapping systems by forecasters and other federal personnel concerned with weather hazards. However, most meteorologists have little experience either in this multi-disciplinary field or with lightning-mapping systems. The authors' goal was to present these wide-ranging topics systematically in a single reference useful for professionals and at a level suitable for teaching graduate students in meteorology and physics. More information about their book is available at http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/~elecbook on the internet.

NSSL Signs CRADA with WeatherData Inc.

NSSL recently signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with WeatherData, Inc. to develop a lightning threat algorithm. This is the first time NSSL has entered such an agreement with a private company.

The lightning threat algorithm will combine WSR-88D radar data with data from the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) in real-time to forecast areas of lightning threat.

Two algorithms developed by MIT/LL (scale separation and correlation tracking) will be used to identify and forecast the location of radar echoes up to 30 minutes in advance. Then an algorithm developed by NSSL will utilize the cloud-to-ground lightning strike data from the NLDN along with the forecasted echo positions to determine which radar echoes are electrically active and a potential threat to WeatherData customers.

NSSL on tour with Universal Studios' "Twister: Ride It Out

NSSL scientists and one of NSSL's mobile laboratories traveled from Boston to Miami and Minneapolis to New Orleans, a 15-state, 23-city promotional tour this summer with Universal Studios Florida. Universal was promoting their new Twister attraction that features a50-foot high, 15-foot vortex. It is the world's largest vortex simulator, and is patterned after work done at NSSL in the early sixties. Most of the stops were at science museums, where NSSL promoted severe storm research along with storm safety and awareness. Participating in this tour were Doug Forsyth, Les Showell, José Meitin, Harold Brooks and Ken Howard.

AUITI (Acronyms Used In This Issue)

AWIPS - Automated Weather Information Processing System
CAPS - Center for the Analysis and Prediction of Storms
CIMMS - Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies
ELDORA - Electra DOppler RAdar
ETL - Environmental Technologies Laboratory
FAA - Federal Aviation Administration
MCS - Mesoscale Convective System
MEaPRS - MCS Electrification and Polarimetric Radar Study
NCAR - National Center for Atmospheric Research
NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NSF - National Science Foundation
NSSL- National Severe Storms Laboratory
NWS - National Weather Service
NWSFO - National Weather Service Forecast Office
OCS - Oklahoma Climate Survey
OU - University of Oklahoma
SOO - Scientific Operations Officer
SPC - Storm Prediction Center
VORTEX - Verifications of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment
WDSS - Warning Decision Support System