Julia Davis - Closing Thoughts

Parents, Grandparents, Friends, and fellow weather enthusiasts, 

I can't believe the end of our trip has come! It has been an action-packed two weeks, and I've learned a lot. What was most eye-opening for me was seeing the structure of a supercell in person. The different portions of a supercell work intricately together, and the extent and scale to which they do can be hard to understand from pictures and diagrams alone. I found it remarkable that we could see the entirety of such a massive and powerful storm (thank you Great Plains!) and see the rotation and motion that existed within it. 

What I found most surprising on our trip was how sensitive and finicky tornadogenesis is. In the classroom we learned about the parameters needed for a tornado to form, and I was left with the impression that if all of the tornado "ingredients" existed then a tornado had to form. However, I found quickly that this was not the case. It was frustrating as we watched beautiful supercells in favorable environments fail to produce tornadoes. Amid frustration, LCDR Burich reminded us that tornadoes are actually pretty rare (even in tornado alley) and oftentimes referred to as "atmospheric accidents." There are still a lot of things about these atmospheric accidents that we don't fully understand, such as why tornadogenesis occurs in some seemingly favorable environments but not others. Some parameters and small-scale features affect tornadogenesis in ways we don't quite understand yet, and this reinforces the need for further research of tornadogenesis so warnings can be more accurately issued. 

Lastly, I have to thank all of the small towns in Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Colorado for welcoming us with open arms (and inquisitive stares). From quirky tourist stops, like the World's Largest Catsup Bottle, to beautiful wide open fields and happy cows, I've thoroughly enjoyed exploring the Great Plains. 

While our eyes have been glued to the sky, our thoughts are with those who have been affected by the past weeks' tornadoes. 

Thank you all for following along with our adventures! 

-Julia