This National Science Foundation (NSF) Project Grant award under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) provides $299,311 to the University of Missouri System, doing business as Missouri University of Science & Technology (Missouri S&T), to investigate the role of inverse energy cascade in the tornadogenesis process.
The primary objectives of this 2-year project are to: 1) numerically simulate a variety of tornadoes through their entire life cycle to extract wind velocity time histories, 2) analyze the wind spectra to determine if inverse energy cascade occurs during tornadogenesis, and 3) develop a function to characterize the tornadic wind spectrum based on factors like surface roughness and tornado intensity. This research aims to help National Weather Service meteorologists better assess which supercell thunderstorms have a high potential to produce a tornado, improving extreme weather forecasting. The project will also contribute to the standardization of tornado simulation models, leading to more accurate tornadic wind loading calculations to enhance community resilience.