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1. A rotating column of air usually accompanied by a funnel-shaped downward extension of a cumulonimbus cloud and having a vortex several hundred yards in diameter whirling destructively at speeds of up to 500 miles (800 kilometers) per hour.

2. A violent thunderstorm in western Africa or nearby Atlantic waters.

• A tornado can release as much energy as a large nuclear power plant.
• In Australia, a tornado is called a "willy-willy."

Tornado Vortex Signature Detector - 03/23/97

Date: Thu, 20 Mar 1997 22:43:28 -0600 (CST)
To: jdecker@keelynet.com
From: Chuck Henderson
Subject: Re: ABC World News Tonight (3/18/97)

     Hi Jerry,

     This is a transcript of the text of the segment of "ABC's World News
     Tonight" that dealt with tornado sound as a means of detection.

     The physical device looks like an old wagon wheel without the outer rim,
     just the center hub and spokes. The center is what looks like a 1-foot long
     section of 10" diameter schedule 40 PVC pipe with a cap. From the sides
     radiate 12 hoses, each approximately 20 feet long.

     Read the text and form a mental image of it, then think about what it and
     a cloudbuster have in common.

     Enjoy! - Chuck...

     Date: Wed, 19 Mar 1997 09:39:58 -0600
     To: chenders@keelynet.com
     From: Walt Zwirko
     Subject: Re: ABC World News Tonight (3/18/97) - Forwarded

     Chuck...

     Here is a transcript of the World News Tonight report from ABC. Sorry,
     but as of the moment, ABC News doesn't yet have an e-mail address
     (although you can check www.abc.com because I think they're about to
     provide that feature soon).

     Solutions: Predicting Tornados with Sound
     N/S of Bill Blakemore Package for World News Tonight

     Supers: - Prof. Al Bedard/NOAA Environmental Technology
     Script:
                Reporter: TORNADOES ARE THE MOST VIOLENT
                                   CONCENTRATION
                        OF ENERGY IN THE ATMOSPHERE.

     NATS: roar

     THEY'RE ESPECIALLY DEADLY BECAUSE THEY USUALLY HIT
     WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING, SOUNDING TO THE HUMAN
     EAR LIKE A HUNDRED FREIGHT TRAINS.

     Nats: "roooaaarrr!"

     BUT IT TURNS OUT, THEY ALSO MAKE ANOTHER SOUND.

     Nats: "WEEEooouuuWEEEEooouuuWEEEooou"

     THAT SOUND WAS DISCOVERED BY PROFESSOR AL BEDARD
     IN COLORADO USING THIS CONTRAPTION.

     SOT: BEDARD: "THINK OF THIS AS A LARGE OVERGROWN
     EAR."

     Reporter: HE MADE IT OUT OF SOME GARDEN HOSES, EACH
     CONNECTED TO A MICROPHONE AT THE CENTER.

     SOT: BEDARD: "SOUND WAVES GO RIGHT THROUGH THE
     WALLS OF THE TUBE AND THEN GO RIGHT DOWN THE TUBE
     TO THE SENSOR."

     Reporter: AND FROM THERE TO SOME SOPHISTICATED
     COMPUTERS. THEY AMPLIFY THE NEW TORNADO SOUND,
     HE'S DISCOVERED, WHICH IS OTHERWISE TOO LOW FOR
     HUMAN EARS.

     Real Tornado w/ nats: "WAAAouououWAAAoou"

     THE FIRST TORNADO HE EVER HEARD THIS WAY WAS JUST
     STARTING TO FORM OUT OF SIGHT, UP IN THE CLOUDS.

     SOT BEDARD: "WE DETECTED IT HALF AN HOUR BEFORE
     THE FUNNEL WAS ON THE GROUND."

     Reporter: THAT'S A MAJOR DISCOVERY. IT'S MUCH MORE
     WARNING TIME THAN THE MOST ADVANCED RADAR
     USUALLY PROVIDES, SO IT COULD SAVE THOUSANDS OF
     LIVES. BEDARD HAS ALSO CARRIED HIS STUDY OF TORNADO
     SOUND INTO THE LABORATORY.

     Nats: The sound

     Reporter: THAT'S THE SOUND YOU'RE STUDYING?

     SOT BEDARD: "THAT'S THE SOUND WE'RE STUDYING."

     Reporter: BY CREATING WATER FUNNELS, BEDARD
     DISCOVERED WHY TORNADOES MAKE CERTAIN SOUNDS.

     SOT: BEDARD: YOU COULD THINK OF THIS AS A
     3-DIMENSIONAL LOUDSPEAKER IN A SENSE -- THAT A
     TORNADO COULD BE EXPANDING AND CONTRACTING, AND,
     IN TURN, CREATING SOUND WAVES.

     Reporter: ALL ANY SOUNDMAKER DOES - A GONG, A LOUD
     SPEAKER -, IS PUSH AGAINST THE AIR, WHICH GETS
     CONDENSED, SENDING WAVES ON THEIR WAY. WHEN
     WAVES GET TOO INFREQUENT, THE TONE GETS TOO LOW
     FOR HUMANS TO HEAR, BUT SOME ANIMALS STILL CAN,
     AND, BEDARD'S COMPUTER.

     HE'S PICKING UP SEVERAL DEEP SOUNDS FROM FUNNELS
     AND THINKS THOSE RIPPLES ON THE SURFACE MAY BE
     MAKING SOME OF THEM.

     SOT: BEDARD: NOTICE THE CORRUGATIONS AND THE
     INSTABILITIES MOVING UP AND DOWN THE CORE, AND
     THEY'RE QUITE SIMILAR TO THINGS THAT I'VE SEEN IN A
     LOT OF VIDEO OF TORNADOES.

     BLAKEMORE ON-CAMERA: WHY WOULD A FUNNEL THAT'S
     GOT RIPPLES IN IT MAKE SOUND? WELL, IF YOU BLOW AIR
     THROUGH A TUBE THAT'S COMPLETELY SMOOTH,
     NOTHING."

     BUT BLOW AIR THROUGH A TUBE THAT'S CORRUGATED, SO
     THE AIR HAS TO TRIP OVER EACH OF THESE RIPPLES,
     MUSIC.

     IN THE SAME WAY, WINDS BLOWING UP OR DOWN ON THE
     BIG RIPPLES IN TORNADOES COULD BE MAKING DEEP
     SOUNDS.

     SINCE THESE SOUNDS COULD GREATLY IMPROVE EARLY
     WARNING, BEDARD IS STUDYING HOW BEST TO DEPLOY HIS
     DEVICES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AND THEY'BE BEGUN TO
     PICK UP OTHER DANGERS: SOUND FROM THE INVISIBLE
     CLEAR-AIR TURBULENCE THAT FORMS ABOVE MOUNTAINS
     -- AND IS SO DANGEROUS TO AIRPLANES.

     THEY'VE EVEN FOUND THEY CAN HEAR METEORS AS THEY
     PUSH INTO THE ATMOSPHERE FROM OUTER SPACE.

     BUT THE MOST IMMEDIATE BENEFIT OF LEARNING TO HEAR
     THIS INAUDIBLE SOUND MAY BE TO ROB TORNADOES OF AT
     LEAST SOME OF THEIR SURPRISE SO WE HAVE A BETTER
     CHANCE TO MAKE IT TO SAFETY.

     BILL BLAKEMORE, ABC NEWS,

• Torus
• film _Wizard of oz_
• film _Twister_
• track _Tornadoes_ MP3 (160k) by The Butthole Surfers
• lo fi alternative country track _A Perfect Day To Chase Tornados_ MP3 (192k) by Jim White off of _Wrong Eyed Jesus (Mysterious Tale Of How I Shouted_ (1997)
• track _Bustin' Surfboards_ MP3 by The Tornadoes off of _Pulp Fiction_ (vhs/ntsc)  (1994) soundtrack
• 604 track _Tornado_ by Phreaky off of _Classix_ compilation  on Dragonfly

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