National Severe Storms Laboratory
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| National Severe Storms Laboratory | |
|---|---|
| Name | National Severe Storms Laboratory |
| Formation | 1964 |
| Headquarters | Norman, Oklahoma |
| Parent organization | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
National Severe Storms Laboratory is a federal research laboratory focused on the science of severe convective storms, tornadoes, and extreme weather phenomena. Located in Norman, Oklahoma, it operates under the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and supports operational services provided by the National Weather Service and research priorities of the United States Department of Commerce. The laboratory conducts observational, theoretical, and modeling studies to improve warnings, forecasts, and societal resilience for hazardous weather in the United States and internationally.
History
The laboratory traces roots to early atmospheric work at Randall Laboratory and research driven by events such as the Tri-State Tornado and the devastating 1974 Super Outbreak, prompting federal investments that involved entities like the National Severe Storms Forecast Center and partnerships with the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma University (now consolidated). Key milestones involved collaborations with the Office of Naval Research, the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories, and the National Science Foundation during the formative decades of the 1960s and 1970s. Over time, the laboratory integrated advances from programs including Project VORTEX, the Doppler On Wheels initiatives, and national efforts tied to the Strategic Plan for Weather Research and Development, aligning with agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Transportation, and international partners like World Meteorological Organization. Directors and senior scientists from institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Colorado State University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Colorado Boulder, and the California Institute of Technology have influenced strategic directions, while cooperative agreements with the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shaped observational capacity and satellite integration.
Mission and Research Focus
The laboratory's mission emphasizes reducing societal impacts from hazardous convective weather by improving the understanding of processes driving supercells, mesocyclones, tornado genesis, flash flood dynamics, and hail formation through physics-based research and applied modeling. Research programs integrate high-resolution numerical models developed in collaboration with centers such as the Environmental Modeling Center, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and the Los Alamos National Laboratory, and draw on foundational theories from scientists at institutions like Cornell University, Harvard University, and Princeton University. Efforts address observational advances in remote sensing using technologies pioneered by groups including the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Argonne National Laboratory, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, while linking improved warnings to decision-support frameworks used by the Federal Aviation Administration, American Red Cross, and local emergency management agencies.
Facilities and Field Programs
Laboratory facilities in Norman, Oklahoma include radar systems, mobile observational platforms, and computational resources shared with the University of Oklahoma's Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies. Core assets derive from deployments like the Doppler on Wheels radar fleet, mobile mesonets used historically in campaigns such as VORTEX2 and VORTEX-SE, and fixed radars complementing networks like the NEXRAD system and the National Mesonet Program. Field programs have partnered with research aircraft operated by National Center for Atmospheric Research and NASA’s Earth Science Division, and with international campaigns involving the Met Office and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. High-performance computing collaborations involve resources at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and supercomputing centers such as Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory.
Major Projects and Contributions
The laboratory contributed to transformational projects including cooperative work on Doppler radar assimilation, development of the Warn-on-Forecast initiative, creation of convective-scale ensemble systems, and refinement of radar-based precipitation estimation used by the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center and the Storm Prediction Center. It played leading roles in field experiments such as Project NIMROD, Project STORMFURY (historically linked efforts), VORTEX campaigns, and subsequent observational syntheses informing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments' regional severe weather considerations. Technologies and algorithms developed with partners influenced operational products distributed by the National Weather Service and research tools used by universities including Texas A&M University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Washington, and Iowa State University.
Partnerships and Collaborations
The laboratory maintains formal and informal partnerships with federal agencies like NASA, NOAA offices including the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, academic partners such as the University of Oklahoma, Colorado State University, and Penn State University, and international research organizations including the Met Office and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Cooperative institutes and regional consortia such as the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies, and collaborations with the National Science Foundation enable multidisciplinary research spanning meteorology, hydrology, social science, and engineering, linking to stakeholders like the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security, and state emergency management agencies.
Education, Outreach, and Data Services
Educational and outreach activities include support for graduate training at institutions like the University of Oklahoma, University of Colorado Boulder, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, public outreach with partners such as the National Weather Association and the American Meteorological Society, and engagement in community preparedness alongside the American Red Cross and state agencies. The laboratory provides datasets, radar archives, and model output used by operational centers including the Storm Prediction Center and the Weather Prediction Center, and shares tools with the research community via collaborations with repositories and centers such as the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the Earth System Grid Federation.