Storm chaser, no. Meteorologist, yes.
June 6, 2013 Filed under Blog, Featured, Uncategorized
Wreckage of the car in which three stormchasers were killed. (Jason Morris, CNN)
The death of four storm chasers in the recent Oklahoma tornado raises issues about the safety of stormchasing, but also how stormchasing is marketed to the public and students. For example, some undergraduate meteorology, environmental science, and geography programs use storm chasing as a tool to market their programs. Even MyMajors.com lists stormchaser as a career profession.
In this USA Today column, Prof. John Knox questions the value in these programs.
…let’s have more bracing honesty about storm chasing: For most it’s an expensive hobby, a fuel-guzzling luxury, but it’s not a career path for the millions watching on the Internet and at home. Or even for the hundreds or thousands who went to college thinking they’d be the next cable-TV chaser hero. That era needs to die before more people die.
There’s considerable merit in some of what John is saying, but not all of it. The fact that he’s never chased leaves him ill-qualified to comment on some aspects of chasing – notably its value in education as a meteorologist. If I had the capability, I gladly would eliminate storm chasers who are doing it as an “extreme sport”, who chase irresponsibly, who give nothing back to either the science or the community, or who seek to draw attention to themselves. Unfortunately, there’s no practical way to do this. Storm chasing is not inherently a bad thing, but its explosive growth as a result of media exposure has brought out many who should not be chasing.
Hi Chuck,
You raise a fair point. John was a professor at Valparaiso University, which is well known for its chasing program. So, I think he has some perspective on the educational merit, whether he participated in the chasing or not.
I agree that responsible chasing inherently isn’t a bad thing. Clearly, things are not sustainable. The magnitude that the chasing problem has become and the proliferation of universities doing it officially will result in greater pressures on an already difficult situation in the field, any perceived or real educational and scientific benefits notwithstanding.
Sorry to miss you at the European Conference on Severe Storms this year.
Best,
Dave
Having witnessed storm chasing at Valpo is not the same as participating, anymore than watching football games is the same as playing in the game. He’s entitled to his opinion, even if it’s ill-informed in some important ways. University chase programs are but a tiny component of the chaser hordes, so I don’t concede the notion that they are a significant contributor to the problem.