A Study of the Applicability of Lasers to the Measurement of Tornado Wind Speeds.

摘要

The purpose of this research is to examine the theoretical possibility of using pulsed lasers to determine the velocity structure of the turbulence associated with tornadoes, particularly, the funnel cloud. Laser technology has progressed to the point that velocity discrimination on the order of 1 m/sec is achievable outside the laboratory. Furthermore, detectors are available (at the cited wavelengths) with sensitivities of the order required to process the returned signal. However, it is recommended that a system containing the required components including the ancillary equipment be constructed and tested to verify the results obtained in this study.