Tornado Prediction

CHALLENGE

Tornado Prediction

$1 MILLION (Prize amount to be confirmed. Announcement expected for next year)

A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. The windstorm is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, Tornadoes come in many shapes and sizes, and they are often visible in the form of a condensation funnel originating from the base of a cumulonimbus cloud, with a cloud of rotating debris and dust beneath it. Most tornadoes have wind speeds less than 110 miles per hour (180 km/h), are about 250 feet (80 m) across, and travel a few miles (several kilometers) before dissipating. The most extreme tornadoes can attain wind speeds of more than 300 miles per hour (480 km/h), are more than two miles (3 km) in diameter, and stay on the ground for dozens of miles (more than 100 km). At the moment detection and prediction of tornadoes is part of the integrated warning system, consisting of prediction, detection, and dissemination of information on severe weather to users such as emergency management, storm spotters and chasers, the media, and the general public.

Tornadoes can be detected before or as they occur through the use of Pulse-Doppler radar by recognizing patterns in velocity and reflectivity data, such as hook echoes or debris balls, as well as through the efforts of storm spotters.

In order to avoid the huge dangers and risks of lives associated with tornadoes and mitigate their effects we need a long range tornado prediction warning system.

Tornado Prediction

The solution can include:

This competition calls for system that can predict tornadoes in specific areas with the help of advanced technology (radars, weather satellites ) climate analysis and trends, policies, building rules and regulations, construction materials, spotter training , algorithms and other equipment (drones, airships etc) to be proposed. Prediction system must have a minimum 4 hours prediction time and define the probable path with an accuracy of less than 1 \km.

Proposal:

This is a two phase competition:

Phase 1: Written proposals, (max 30 pages including images) about the technologies and systems that would be utilized will select the five finalist teams that would proceed to phase 2;

Phase 2: To realize the required prototype and experiments under controlled conditions to prove the validity of their concept proposal.