Storm chasers gain respect on leading edge of tornado research

[Taylor Wright]

A great article from The Wichita Eagle regarding the advancement of research through chasers. This was talked about quite a bit during ChaserCon and is very relevant heading into the season. I know I will be focusing much more on documentation this year to hopefully be involved in some of these projects in the future.

http://www.kansas.com/news/weather/tornado/article56312175.html

 

[Warren Faidley]

Not a bad article. I compliment the writer for staying on track with chasers like Tim who actually made factual and genuine contributions to science.

 

[NealRasmussen]

Ya, I'd like to see a discernment between "Storm Chasers" and "scientists who chase storms".

Even shooting timelapse I don't think I'm doing squat for science. And in a small percentage way, hindering scientific storm chasing by contributing to the herd.

Perhaps a couple more pictures seen or some video, but science? Not so sure about that...

Are we collecting FFD rain for analysis? Hailstone to see what seeding or shells? Measuring pollen count insitu or analyzing for hygoscopic nuclei? Oh, the mesonet. We have wind speeds and direction accurate to +-20%.

Now given some time, the density of mesonets around storms should well be a good thing. Proximity measurements of theta-e and such. But what site will become the defacto gathering site for said. Not NWS I bet until someone else proves the concept is useful.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

I feel like regular storm chasers who are not scientists can be enabled to chase for science or research.

Innovators, folks.

It is 2016, you don't have to be a DR of science or in your 8th year of meteorology college in order to chase science. This is especially true for innovators who wish to create something within the private sector. I think that amateur storm chasers can chase for research and science as long as there are realistic goals and objectives. However, I notice that many groups claim they chase for this but actually provide no evidence or reasoning to actually be chasing for research unless they are keeping it secret which in most cases is not the actual case.

 

[Dan Robinson]

I've always thought if there was some basic instrument pack that could be bought for $200 or less, slapped on top of a vehicle with magnets, upload its data via the car's wifi device and/or after the chase, that the possibilities for data collection density around storms would be phenomenal. We had a discussion thread a few years ago about this, but it didn't go anywhere.

 

[Jeff Hawkins]

I feel like regular storm chasers who are not scientists can be enabled to chase for science or research.

Innovators, folks.
.

I've always thought if there was some basic instrument pack that could be bought for $200 or less, slapped on top of a vehicle with magnets, upload its data via the car's wifi device and/or after the chase, that the possibilities for data collection density around storms would be phenomenal. We had a discussion thread a few years ago about this, but it didn't go anywhere.

These.

Storm chasers are an untapped jewel in severe weather research. I think many of us who chase even as a hobby would jump at the chance to have our chasecations count for something bigger than just the chase itself. I would love to see John Allen and team petition National Geographic and the National Science Foundation to fund development and deployment of such a tool that chasers can include while they chase.

 

[Tim Marquis]

Honestly I wished we just stuck to the fact that storm chasing is a hobby. There's only so much you can glean from cheap sensors and or videography.


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[Taylor Wright]

At least getting basic surface measurements near a storm seems feasible with all of the chasers out there. I would like to see a mobile mesonet program actually come to fruition. I know there's people that will be attempting it this year.

 

[Jeff Duda]

http://stormtrack.org/community/threads/would-you-mobile-mesonet-for-science.19570/

 

[Joey Ketcham]

Honestly I wished we just stuck to the fact that storm chasing is a hobby. There's only so much you can glean from cheap sensors and or videography.


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I agree, it seems like anymore people are too afraid to just say they storm chase as a hobby. I storm chased for 13/14 years and I never did so to save lives or contribute anything to the science, it was always a hobby for me because I was fascinated by storms and tornadoes. I was the selfish chaser, so to speak. I didn't chase for any other reasons but for myself and my own enjoyment. I never felt the need to justify my chasing by claiming to be saving lives and doing it for science. Anymore it seems like every other chaser is out chasing to save lives or to contribute to science, in reality they are contributing jack squat to science. There are the exceptions such as Tim Samaras, but chasers like that are far and few between. I'm sorry folks, but slapping a cheap, consumer grade anemometer among other equally cheap junk equipment on your vehicle and live streaming your chase isn't contributing to the science. You'll never see a published scientific article quoting data collected from a cheap Davis weather station mounted on a car.

Chasing is a hobby, nothing more than that. If you're lucky enough and have the brains and intelligence to do so, then maybe, just maybe you can make it into something more than that. I doubt it, but if you claiming to chase to contribute to the science makes you feel better, than by all means claim that. I'll just continue to call BS on that and ask you to show me your scientific data that you've collected and what scientific journal it has been publishes in.

 

[Todd Lemery]

I'm pretty much in Joey's shoes. My main focus on chasing is simply for the enjoyment. Like most people on this site, I've been interested in storms my whole life and just enjoy the chase. I stream video just because I appreciate being able to view other people streams when I can't chase and want to return the favor.
That said, if there were magnetic units that attached to the roof of your vehicle that would add useful data, I'd be all over it. It's not too big of a stretch to think that something like that would be coming to a chaser near you soon.


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[Warren Faidley]

I agree, it seems like anymore people are too afraid to just say they storm chase as a hobby. I storm chased for 13/14 years and I never did so to save lives or contribute anything to the science, it was always a hobby for me because I was fascinated by storms and tornadoes. I was the selfish chaser, so to speak. I didn't chase for any other reasons but for myself and my own enjoyment. I never felt the need to justify my chasing by claiming to be saving lives and doing it for science. Anymore it seems like every other chaser is out chasing to save lives or to contribute to science, in reality they are contributing jack squat to science. There are the exceptions such as Tim Samaras, but chasers like that are far and few between. I'm sorry folks, but slapping a cheap, consumer grade anemometer among other equally cheap junk equipment on your vehicle and live streaming your chase isn't contributing to the science. You'll never see a published scientific article quoting data collected from a cheap Davis weather station mounted on a car.

Very well said.

For the 28 years I've been chasing in Plains, it's been interesting to see the transitions. I'm slowly gravitating back to the "hobby" aspects and it's a lot more enjoyable.

Unfortunately, a lot of new chasers and some more experienced chasers see the success and fortunes made by chasers who cleverly use the research / life saving angle and they emulate the same tactics. Some are confusing "research" with "storm spotting." Data from chasing can be fun to study, but as any real scientist will tell you, without calibrated instrumentation and multiple data sets, such information is of little genuine value. This is not to say, for example, that a high wind report from a chaser is of no value to the NWS. But that's called "spotting" not research!

Amazingly, I have yet to see a single chaser claiming to be chasing for "science" produce a peer-reviewed and accepted scientific paper in a major publication that has lead to any life-saving breakthroughs.

W.

 

[Scott Sims]

Add me to the just for a 'hobby' votes. This is just big game hunting for sport to me. Those guys may make some jerky or stuffed wall mounts or rugs, we have video and stills and don't even need to kill anything to succeed. I have made a few bucks off of a video here or there, but I never even try to market the stuff. I want it to remain stress and business free as much as possible, even though that is a huge money waster. Searching for money in my hobbies almost always reduces its worth and joy to me.

I only even really make reports if I don't already see someone has or I know I am one of very few on the storm. Reports are vital and needed, but I don't think any WFO needs a 6th report of a tornado that was a thin rope in a field 9 miles from the nearest town that has already dissipated.

All that being said, I was more than happy I was able to submit video, GPS logs and still images to participate in the El Reno Survey. I was out there that day as I always am for the hobby. If I am out on another historic day and a request for data is made, I will again gladly participate. Not sure I'd want put an instrument pack on my car, as I try to go as low profile as I can. I just want to be another white Subaru passing through the crowd.

I, as many others, feel a connection to those that were out on that grid of roads on 5-31-13 running from or inside the monster. We shared an historic event, up close, and I can't forget that day. But in that event or on any other chase day I have ventured, I wasn't ever out there for advancing science.

 

[Taylor Wright]

I agree, it seems like anymore people are too afraid to just say they storm chase as a hobby. I storm chased for 13/14 years and I never did so to save lives or contribute anything to the science, it was always a hobby for me because I was fascinated by storms and tornadoes.

Chasing is a hobby, nothing more than that. If you're lucky enough and have the brains and intelligence to do so, then maybe, just maybe you can make it into something more than that. I doubt it, but if you claiming to chase to contribute to the science makes you feel better, than by all means claim that. I'll just continue to call BS on that and ask you to show me your scientific data that you've collected and what scientific journal it has been publishes in.

Ok, so once you start trying to help with research chasing is no longer a hobby and you're only a poser doing it for science. Got it. No one is questioning your motive for chasing. Just because a person wants to help with research doesn't mean they are saying "Hey look everyone I'm chasing for science" just as it is that someone who helps with search and rescue isn't automatically claiming they chase to save lives. Should everyone stop helping with search and rescue because by doing so they are -gasp- saving lives?

I guess I'm not as pessimistic as others and think that chasers can actually make a huge contribution if they tried. A cluster of surface data near a tornado would be pretty helpful in modeling that tornado in the future and the CG data can also help determine CG patterns before/during/after tornado formation. Those are just a few examples. With advancements in technology I highly disagree that chasers will never be able to get quality data in the field. They already have, in fact. I don't think we're far removed from getting low level profiles of the atmosphere on mobile networks either.

This article/thread should be about discussing ways to advance research through chasers, not starting a flame war about why people chase. I'd love to hear @Skip Talbot thoughts on this.

 

[Joey Ketcham]

Ok, so once you start trying to help with research chasing is no longer a hobby and you're only a poser doing it for science. Got it. No one is questioning your motive for chasing. Just because a person wants to help with research doesn't mean they are saying "Hey look everyone I'm chasing for science" just as it is that someone who helps with search and rescue isn't automatically claiming they chase to save lives. Should everyone stop helping with search and rescue because by doing so they are -gasp- saving lives?

I guess I'm not as pessimistic as others and think that chasers can actually make a huge contribution if they tried. A cluster of surface data near a tornado would be pretty helpful in modeling that tornado in the future and the CG data can also help determine CG patterns before/during/after tornado formation. Those are just a few examples. With advancements in technology I highly disagree that chasers will never be able to get quality data in the field. They already have, in fact. I don't think we're far removed from getting low level profiles of the atmosphere on mobile networks either.

This article/thread should be about discussing ways to advance research through chasers, not starting a flame war about why people chase. I'd love to hear @Skip Talbot thoughts on this.

What I'm saying is people who does absolutely nothing to contribute to the science, but yet they run around with consumer grade anemometer's claiming to chasing for research. That's absolute BS. Anyone can throw an anemometer on their vehicle, doesn't automatically make them a scientist who is out conducting research. If someone is directly involved in doing research, such as volunteering with VORTEX or something then that's fine, they are contributing. But driving around in your rinky dink car with a $50 anemometer strapped to it is doing absolutely nothing.

I guess it's just more glamorous for chasers to say they're chasing to conduct research than to simply say they're a hobbyist who simply enjoy's a good thunderstorm.