Measuring Tornadoes from Space

Guest: Dr. Connell Miller, Western University

When a tornado tears through the landscape, one of the first questions we ask is, how strong was it? Answering that usually means boots on the ground, surveying damage piece by piece. But what if part of that story could be told from hundreds of miles above Earth? Today, we’re joined by Dr. Connell Miller, whose research explores how satellite data can be used to detect and measure tornado damage from space, especially in rural and agricultural areas where traditional damage indicators can be hard to find. We’ll talk about using vegetation signals to infer tornado intensity, how this approach could complement ground surveys, and what it means for improving tornado climatology and post-storm analysis.

Chapters

1. 00:00 Introduction to Tornado Research and Satellite Data
2. 05:46 Innovative Use of Satellite Data in Tornado Assessment
3. 12:12 Correlation Between Satellite Data and Ground Surveys
4. 14:00 Break 1
5. 17:56 Limitations and Future of Satellite Data in Tornado Rating
6. 25:03 Break 2
7. 25:05 AI and Automation in Tornado Damage Assessment

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