SCIENCE SCIENCE NATION -- March 27, 2012 at 11:20 AM EDT

Harnessing Supercomputers to Predict Tornadoes

By: Rebecca Jacobson


A tornado can rip apart a home or destroy a whole town in just seconds. But when it comes to predicting these vicious storms, current radar technology is limited. At the University of Oklahoma, scientists are using supercomputer simulations to design a system that would better model tornado formation. The goal: to provide hours of warning time rather than minutes. Miles O'Brien reports for the National Science Foundation's* latest Science Nation piece.

*For the record, the National Science Foundation is an underwriter of the NewsHour.

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