Ft. Leonard Wood tornado picture perplexing

[Brad Emel]

KSGF posted a picture of the Ft. Leonard Wood EF3 tornado taken from the airfield. In the limited field of view from this picture, it seems like the main vortex runs upwards to the left, but there is clearly a vortex running right out of frame.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/images/sgf/events/December 31 2010 Tornadoes/ftwood3.jpg

Event info from SGF: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/sgf/?n=event_2010dec31_pictures

Does anyone else find this perplexing?

 

[Danny Neal]

Yeah, I saw this too... I wonder if it was just something with the camera? Or something that briefly flew in front of the frame? I have seen a couple of videos of the FLW tornado and haven't seen anything to support the anomaly in that picture.

 

[Skip Talbot]

Looks like they shot the picture through a dirty window or its a reflection, you can see it in the pavement too.

 

[Scott Weberpal]

The Army brought in Chuck Norris to punch the tornado.

 

[Bob Hartig]

It's a smudge. At first glance I thought it went behind the tornado, but a closer look shows that it's in the forecground.

 

[KenMcWatters]

Could this be a horizontal suction vortex, such as seen on the video of the Moore 5/3/99 tornado? If so, note that the right side is tilted upward, but this may be because the main tornado is also tilted near the ground.

 

[Jason Foster]

I don't think that is shot through a window...look at where the photographer is positions in relation to the parking lot curb, etc. I also don't see the "other reflection" Skip...maybe you can point out something I'm not seeing.

I can't decide with certainty if it is a true anomaly or is a smudge or even a hair in the frame (and super wide looking because of being extremely out of focus). I would trend toward dust or something because that doesn't seem 'typical'. But the color, translucency, and more seem to be on part with being part of the event itself. I think this is a case of "let's go to the video tape".

 

[Skip Talbot]

I should have said glass instead of window. I'm almost positive this is a smudge as Bob puts it (or at least a reflection or other local defect). It was probably shot using a cell phone and who knows, maybe some dirty water streaked across the lens cover or its chocolate from the candy bar in the guy's pocket. Maybe it was shot from a car and there's some dirty water on the window.

The feature does not interact with the tornado or the debris. It juts out of it perpendicularly on both sides, and the debris is not deflected or attracted to it. Its clearly in front of the tornado as if you look closely you can see the colors are additive (although they are close), but if it were a vortex of some sort it should be interacting with the environment.

 

[jeremy wilson]

I almost want to agree with everyone on the smudge theory except the more i study this, the more it seems like the debris is being affected on the left side of the main funnel. It looks as if this is a separate vorticy that goes from the right side of the pic through the main tornado and that there is debris being stirred up by this vortex. I'm probably wrong but I can't seem to see anything else when I look at it.

 

[Brandon Jenkins]

I almost want to agree with everyone on the smudge theory except the more i study this, the more it seems like the debris is being affected on the left side of the main funnel. It looks as if this is a separate vorticy that goes from the right side of the pic through the main tornado and that there is debris being stirred up by this vortex. I'm probably wrong but I can't seem to see anything else when I look at it.

I concur. The elevated "funnel" object on the right side of the tornado, at first glance, appears unnatural and has the look of a fixed object in front of the lens. But upon zooming/cropping there does "appear" to be some form of interaction and possible condensation to the left side of the tornado. I outlined the area in red (yay microsoft paint). If you zoom in you can see it much better. I'm not convinced either way, but I still have a hard time believing it is anything other than a smudge or some other anomaly.

 

[Bob Hartig]

The feature does not interact with the tornado or the debris. It juts out of it perpendicularly on both sides, and the debris is not deflected or attracted to it. Its clearly in front of the tornado as if you look closely you can see the colors are additive (although they are close), but if it were a vortex of some sort it should be interacting with the environment.

Agree completely. Of course, a video clip could prove the smudge theory wrong, but based on a single, static photo, Skip's comment says it well.

ADDENDUM: Brandon, I see what you're talking about, but the streak, or whatever you want to call it, appears to be in the foreground whereas the dust cloud--which does look like a suction spot--is more in the background and appears to originate elsewhere. The two items don't look to me like they're connected or interacting; rather, the smudge strikes me as ending abruptly.

I will say, I wouldn't mind being proved wrong by what would no doubt be a very interesting video!

 

[Brandon Jenkins]

Yea, I would agree that there is a visible line in front of the tornado that appears to be of a lighter shade. I think the placement of the debris cloud on the left side is purely coincidental but is certainly capable of confusing the eyes.

 

[Andrew Ryan]

I don't see how this could possibly be secondary funnel/tornado. As previously mentioned, the funnel is perpendicular to the main tornado, that would imply that the air is moving in multiple directions at the same time. At first glance, it definitely appears to be a legitimate funnel.

 

[Jason Foster]

I don't believe it to be rotational along with the main vortex or a secondary funnel. This is not a "Look at the horizontal tube Gene!" LOL. I suspect more a momentary condensation of a boundary of some sort caused by an ingestion of air and expulsion of a moisture (perhaps from the core).

I think, if this is in fact nature, (and I'm leaning more toward it NOT being artificial camera issues) that it is linear in nature, non-rotational, and extremely brief in nature. We've all seen various anomalies in other vortexes to immediately dismiss this as not actual just because we haven't seen it before. If that was the case...we'd probably would have been in more denial about multi-vortex tornadoes.

 

[Jeff Hawkins]

Just objectively looking at the appearance of the anomaly itself, just to the right of the main tornado it seems to have a very narrow slightly lightened slot running parallel in the middle of it, like you might see in a vortex. In terms of it being a smudge, the borders are a bit too defined. A smudge would have hazy borders, with the tornado at the distance being in proper/sharp focus.
My thought is...could this be a suction vortex actually BEHIND the main tornado, and from the camera angle and depth, the distance between them is flattened out so they appear on the same plane?