Joshua Wurman facts for kids
Joshua Wurman, born on October 1, 1960, is an American scientist and inventor. He is famous for studying tornadoes, tropical cyclones (like hurricanes), and weather radar. He also invented special radars called DOW and bistatic radar networks.
Quick facts for kids
Josh Wurman
|
|
|---|---|
Joshua Wurman, creator of DOW
|
|
| Born | October 1, 1960 |
| Alma mater | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (S.B., 1982; S.M., 1982; Sc.D., 1991) |
| Known for | Weather radar, tornado, and hurricane research; field research and inventions |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Atmospheric sciences |
| Institutions | National Center for Atmospheric Research University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign University of Oklahoma Center for Severe Weather Research |
| Thesis | Forcing Mechanisms of Thunderstorm Downdrafts (1991) |
| Doctoral advisor | Earle Williams |
| Other academic advisors | Raymond Pierrehumbert Fred Sanders |
Contents
Early Life and Education
Joshua Wurman went to Radnor High School in Radnor, Pennsylvania. He then studied at the MIT.
He earned three degrees from MIT. In 1982, he received a bachelor's degree in physics. He also got a master's degree in meteorology that same year. Later, in 1991, he earned his doctorate in meteorology.
Career in Weather Science
After college, Joshua Wurman moved to Boulder, Colorado. There, he worked at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). Later, he became a professor at the University of Oklahoma (OU) in Norman, Oklahoma.
In 1998, he started his own organization. It is called the Center for Severe Weather Research (CSWR). He moved back to Boulder in 2001. Today, his famous Doppler On Wheels (DOW) radars are part of the University of Alabama-Huntsville.
Studying Storms
Wurman is very interested in how tornadoes form. He collects lots of data on their structure and how they move. This helps scientists understand tornadoes better.
He also discovered special wind patterns inside hurricanes. These include "sub-kilometer hurricane boundary layer rolls." He also found "hurricane tornado-scale vortices" (TSV). He wrote important papers about mapping tornado winds. His work helped explain multiple vortices within tornadoes.
Joshua Wurman was a key part of the VORTEX projects. These projects study tornadoes in the field. He helped deploy the first DOW radars for VORTEX1. He was also a main scientist for VORTEX2, which took place from 2009-2010.
His team observed some of the strongest winds ever recorded in a tornado. They also saw two of the largest tornado circulations. Every spring, he leads the ROTATE project. This project uses radar to observe tornadoes and thunderstorms. In the fall, he studies hurricanes.
Wurman has written many scientific papers. These papers are about hurricanes, tornadoes, and weather radar. His articles have appeared in major science journals. He also wrote about what would happen if a big tornado hit a city. He showed that tornadoes are often stronger than damage surveys suggest.
New Radar Technology
Joshua Wurman and his team created the DOW radars. These are mobile radars that can get very close to storms. They use DOWs to study tornadoes, hurricanes, and even wildfires.
He built the first DOW in 1995 using spare parts. By 2014, he had built eight DOW units. The success of DOWs changed how scientists study severe storms. The DOWs are now part of a bigger system called the Flexible Array of Radars and Mesonets (FARM).
His team also developed special bistatic radar networks. These networks use multiple radars to get more detailed information. Wurman also invented the Rapid-Scan DOW. He holds several patents for his radar technology.
He also invented the C-band On Wheels (COW). This is a quickly deployable radar. He has also suggested a network of S-band On Wheels (SOWs). These would also be part of the FARM system.
National Recognition
Joshua Wurman directs the DOW radar network. This network is a special facility for scientists. It is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF). It is also a core part of the Flexible Array of Radars and Mesonets (FARM).
His scientific work and DOW projects get funding from many groups. These include the NSF and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Other supporters are the United States Forest Service (USFS) and the United States Department of Energy (DOE). The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also helps.
He has also received support from The Discovery Channel and the National Geographic Society. Wurman is part of the USA Science and Engineering Festival's Nifty Fifty. This group includes top scientists who inspire young people in science.
See also
- Doppler On Wheels
- Howard Bluestein
- Paul Markowski
- Erik N. Rasmussen
- Roger Wakimoto
