National Geographic: Cyclone! Page #4

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of evidence.

And the more pieces of evidence

we have,

the more likely it will be

that we'll be able to solve

the puzzle of why tornadoes form

and what's their structure.

April 26th, 1991.

Bluestein and his team track

the outbreak

that will ravage Andover, Kansas.

A spectacular funnel stops them

in Red Rock, Oklahoma.

Their Doppler radar will capture

the fastest windspeed on record:

nearly 280 miles an hour.

In the heat of the chase, even

Bluestein can miss a beat.

Let's get out of here fast,

let's go!

For less frenzied fieldwork,

Bluestein turns to these hunting

grounds:
the Florida Keys.

August, 1993.

The National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration,

and the National Geographic

Society

reunite Bluestein

with Dr. Joseph Golden,

expedition chief scientist.

As a graduate student,

Bluestein once joined Golden to

explore the skies over Key West.

This expedition marshals

state-of-the-art scientific

and photographic technology.

The quarry?

A phantom twister that haunts

these tranquil waters.

In 1967, on a vacation trip,

Golden took a sightseeing flight

over the Florida Keys,

and had a chance encounter with

one of our atmosphere's most

startling apparitions.

Since that time,

he has become the world's leading

expert on waterspouts.

Our knowledge of these ethereal

ribbons was once based largely

on mariners' accounts.

Golden first emphasized their

similarities to tornadoes.

Though usually smaller than a

twister over land.

They form in gentler weather

than most violent tornadoes,

allowing close inspection.

Smoke flares will help visualize

airflow near the sea surface.

For Bluestein, this is an

unparalleled ringside seat.

When we're out in the great

plains looking at tornadoes,

we cannot see what's happening

right at the ground very clearly,

nor can we see what's happening

at cloud base extremely clearly.

The perspective that we get

from the helicopter

in that we can look down

at the sea surface...

and see the effect of rotation

at the ground level

and also be at cloud base

and practically kiss...

the condensation funnel

that's right outside the window

is really spectacular.

Ultimately, the ghostly waterspout

may reveal the hidden forces

that trigger tornadoes.

Joe, I guess climatology works.

That was incredible!

Other whirling winds demand a

more lofty vantage point.

Book a seat on the Space Shuttle for

the perfect view of these monsters

- over 500 miles wide,

and some ten miles high.

Creatures of the sea,

they breed in the warm oceans of

the tropics.

Depending on their birthplace,

we call then 'cyclones',

'typhoons', or 'hurricanes'.

These giants can stir up

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