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100 Years Later: Reflecting on Alfred Wegener’s Contributions to Tornado Research in Europe

Bogdan Antonescu School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom

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Hugo M. A. M. Ricketts School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom

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David M. Schultz School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom

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Print Publication:
01 Apr 2019
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-17-0316.1
Page(s):
567–578
Restricted access

Abstract

Alfred Wegener (1880–1930) was a leading geophysicist, atmospheric scientist, and an Arctic explorer who is mainly remembered today for his contributions to the theory of continental drift. Less well known are his contributions to research on tornadoes in Europe. Published 100 years ago, book Wind- und Wasserhosen in Europa (Tornadoes and Waterspouts in Europe) is an impressive synthesis of knowledge on tornadoes and is considered the first modern pan-European tornado climatology, with 258 reports from 1456 to 1913. Unfortunately, Wegener’s book was overlooked after the 1950s amid declining interest in tornadoes by European researchers and meteorologists. The recent revival of tornado studies in Europe invites a reflection on Wegener’s book. Using a relatively small dataset, Wegener was able to describe characteristics of tornadoes (e.g., direction of movement, speed, rotation, formation mechanism), as well as their frequency of occurrence and climatology, comparable with the results from modern tornado climatologies. Wegener’s lasting scientific contributions to tornado research are presented in the context of European research on this topic. Specifically, his book showed the utility of reports from citizen scientists and inspired other researchers, namely, Johannes Letzmann, who continued to study European tornadoes after Wegener’s death.

CURRENT AFFILIATION: Antonescu—Remote Sensing Department, National Institute of Research and Development for Optoelectronics INOE 2000, Măgurele, Romania

ADDITIONAL AFFILIATIONS: Antonescu—European Severe Storms Laboratory, Wessling, Germany; Ricketts—National Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom

© 2019 American Meteorological Society. For information regarding reuse of this content and general copyright information, consult the AMS Copyright Policy (www.ametsoc.org/PUBSReuseLicenses).

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Dr. Bogdan Antonescu, bogdan.antonescu@inoe.ro

Abstract

Alfred Wegener (1880–1930) was a leading geophysicist, atmospheric scientist, and an Arctic explorer who is mainly remembered today for his contributions to the theory of continental drift. Less well known are his contributions to research on tornadoes in Europe. Published 100 years ago, book Wind- und Wasserhosen in Europa (Tornadoes and Waterspouts in Europe) is an impressive synthesis of knowledge on tornadoes and is considered the first modern pan-European tornado climatology, with 258 reports from 1456 to 1913. Unfortunately, Wegener’s book was overlooked after the 1950s amid declining interest in tornadoes by European researchers and meteorologists. The recent revival of tornado studies in Europe invites a reflection on Wegener’s book. Using a relatively small dataset, Wegener was able to describe characteristics of tornadoes (e.g., direction of movement, speed, rotation, formation mechanism), as well as their frequency of occurrence and climatology, comparable with the results from modern tornado climatologies. Wegener’s lasting scientific contributions to tornado research are presented in the context of European research on this topic. Specifically, his book showed the utility of reports from citizen scientists and inspired other researchers, namely, Johannes Letzmann, who continued to study European tornadoes after Wegener’s death.

CURRENT AFFILIATION: Antonescu—Remote Sensing Department, National Institute of Research and Development for Optoelectronics INOE 2000, Măgurele, Romania

ADDITIONAL AFFILIATIONS: Antonescu—European Severe Storms Laboratory, Wessling, Germany; Ricketts—National Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom

© 2019 American Meteorological Society. For information regarding reuse of this content and general copyright information, consult the AMS Copyright Policy (www.ametsoc.org/PUBSReuseLicenses).

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Dr. Bogdan Antonescu, bogdan.antonescu@inoe.ro
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