Tornado Alley: Monster Storms of the Great Plains
by Howard B. Bluestein
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Book Summary Information
Author: Howard B. BluesteinEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-06-15
ISBN: 0195307119
Number of pages: 192
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Book Reviews of Tornado Alley: Monster Storms of the Great Plains
Book Review: Part Ripping Yarn, Part Scientific Survey...
Summary: 5 Stars
Meteorology is, when closely inspected, a truly odd science. Although it has its share of stuffy scientists, it is also performed on the evening news by people with (sometimes) dubious credentials. This distinguishes it from, say, particle physics which would not draw most people's daily attention like the weather does. It is one of the few sciences that can be easily participated in by nearly everyone. And as Dr. Bluestein shows, if you are armed with an automobile and a little knowledge, you too can get out there and chase tornadoes! This book does an excellent job of showing interested readers what goes into making a tornado, and is a really good historical document on an activity that has become, weirdly, a small but noticeable industry - professional stormchasing. How did it all start? Dr. B. is one of the true pioneers of an odd branch of an odd science, and reading this book will not only acquaint you with that fact but also show you that there is still room in this world of ours for crazy, wild, wonderful things like tornado chasing.
Summary of Tornado Alley: Monster Storms of the Great Plains
Tornadoes are the most violent, magnificent, and utterly unpredictable storms on earth, reaching estimated wind speeds of 300 mph and leaving swaths of destruction in their wake. In Tornado Alley, Howard Bluestein draws on two decades of experience chasing and photographing tornadoes across the Plains to present a fascinating historical account of the study of tornadoes and the great thunderstorms that spawn them.A century ago, tornado warnings were so unreliable that they usually went unreported. Today, despite cutting-edge Doppler radar technology and computer simulation, these storms remain remarkably difficult to study. Leading scientists still conduct much of their research from the inside of a speeding truck, and often contend with jammed cameras, flash floods, and windshields smashed by hailstones and flying debris. Using over a hundred diagrams, models, and his own spectacular color photographs, Bluestein documents the exhilaration of hair-raising encounters with as many as nine tornadoes in one day, as well as the crushing disappointment of failed expeditions and ruined equipment. Most of all, he recreates the sense of beauty, mystery, and power felt by the scientists who risk their lives to study violent storms.
For scientists, amateur weather enthusiasts, or anyone who's ever been intrigued or terrified by a darkening sky, Tornado Alley provides not only a history of tornado research but a vivid look into the origin and effects of nature's most dramatic phenomena.
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