Transcript Correlation Between Lightning and the Joplin Missouri Tornado ArielPowers , Brian West , Humberto Barbosa , Ivon Wilson 1Department of Earth Sciences, SUNY Oswego, NY 13126, USA and 2Department.

Correlation Between Lightning and the
Joplin Missouri Tornado
Ariel
1
1
Powers ,
Brian
1
West ,
Humberto
2
Barbosa ,
Ivon
2
Wilson
1Department of Earth Sciences, SUNY Oswego, NY 13126, USA and 2Department of Metereology, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceio, Alagoas, Brazil
Introduction
Methods
Google Earth Images
Lightning and tornados are two important phenomena. To the
general public they may commonly be associated with one
another. This research focuses on determining whether there is a
connection between these two weather occurrences.
Data, time, and location were chosen based upon radar and
satellite images from May 22.
Latitude: 36.3-37.5 (decimal)
Longitude: 93-95.3 (decimal)
Time: 2200-2320 UTC
Data retrieved from WWLLN was stored in plain text data.
This file was opened and the user input the selected time,
latitude and longitude through programming.
MATLAB software was used to put the points into Google
Earth using KML language.
PHP script was used to read the output files from MATLAB.
Four 20 minute frames were created and used for an animation
on Google Earth using KML language.
The tornado’s path was displayed on Google Earth using a
KML file from a NOAA link.
This process made it easier to compare the density of lightning
with the tornado.
Before Warning (2200-2220 UTC)
Joplin, MO Tornado
Touched down: May 22, 2011 at 2234 UTC and ended at 2312
UTC
Path length: 22.1 miles (35.6 km)
Path width: ¾-1 mile (1.2-1.6 km)
Winds: >200 mph (>321.9 kph)
Peaked at EF5 for 6 miles (9.7 km)
24 minute warning for Joplin
Lightning
Requires deep convection (as do tornados), separation of
charges in a cloud, and ice collisions within the cloud
Lightning data is conveyed through very low frequency (VLF)
waves (0.3-300 kHz) detected through the World Wide Lightning
Location Network (WWLLN) antennas.
During Warning (2220-2240 UTC)
Radar over Joplin, Missouri
WWLLN
68 stations world wide
Every station has an antenna that detects the lightning close to
it’s peak power (peak power arrival) also known as Time of
Group Arrival (TOGA).
Objectives
Motivation
Tornadoes are a common occurrence that lead to many
fatalities in the United States.
Joplin, MO was chosen because it was a recent event and the
most severe tornado we have seen in 2011.
During Tornado (2240-2300 UTC)
5:43 CDT
5:48 CDT
UFAL Satellite System
Hypothesis
The goal is to see where the majority of the lightning occurs
whether it is before, during or after the tornado.
We hypothesized that the majority of the lightning would
precede the tornado due to the line of thunderstorms before the
tornado had formed.
After Tornado (2300-2320 UTC)
Results
WWLLN Station at UFAL
GPS Receiver for WWLLN at UFAL
Total number of strikes: 729
Before warning: 67
During warning: 132
During tornado: 202
After tornado: 328
Increasing trend in number of lightning strikes
observed
Rarely a lightning strike in the tornado itself
Based on Google Earth lightning tends to be
following the tornado instead of preceding it.
Where the majority of the lightning struck in
relation to the tornado
Before warning: Northeast of where tornado hit
During warning: North of where tornado hit
During tornado: Highly concentrated over the
Joplin area
After tornado: South of where tornado hit
The shift in lightning due to the moving storm
track is supported by the radar.
Conclusion
Hypothesis rejected
Majority of lightning occurred after the tornado, not
before as hypothesized
It can be assumed that there are more thunderstorms
after the tornado.
Modification of research can be done by choosing shorter
time frames.
Based on this research there is no correlation between the
lightning and tornado, although they need similar weather
occurrences to form. Further research should be done using
other tornadic events.
References
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/sgf/?n=event_2011may22_synopsis
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/sgf/?n=event_2011may22_survey
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/joplin_tornado20110524.html
http://www.wunderground.com/radar/radblast.asp?ID=SGF&region=
b3&lat=37.10850143&lon= -94.51506042&label=Joplin%2c%20MO
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/sgf/?n=event_2011may22_summary
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Joplin_tornado
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wtwistqa.htm
http://vlf.stanford.edu/research/introduction-vlf
http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/primer/tornado/images/tor_alley_lg.gif
http://webflas.ess.washington.edu/
Acknowledgements