This Week in Photos

This Week In Photos: Storm Chasing with GEO 299

In this special edition of This Week In Photos, we follow Professor of Geoscience Neil Laird, Assistant Professor of Geoscience Nick Metz and students from Geoscience 299 on a storm chasing research trip across 15 states. In the photo above, Molly Neureuter '18, Sam Bartlett '18 and Matt Burnett '20 use an airfoil kite to lift a weather sensor above the Quad to sample lower atmosphere.
Prior to storm chasing, Aubrey Phillips '18 leads a morning weather discussion with the geoscience students at a hotel.
A sketch by Aubrey Phillips '18 shows the route taken during GEO 299. In total, 5,650 miles and 15 states were covered during the 12-day experience.
Instructors Caitlin Crossett '15 and Eric Hoffman drive a van of excited GEO 299 students.
The young researchers observe their first severe supercell thunderstorm near Dora, N.M. on May 23.
Caitlin Crossett '15 and Assistant Professor of Geoscience Nick Metz celebrate a successful storm chase with a selfie as they observe a supercell thunderstorm.
Matt Burnett '20, Yukun Yang '17 and Aubrey Phillips '18 observe a low-level shelf cloud as the thunderstorm gust front approaches near Dora, N.M.
The students observe an intensifying supercell thunderstorm that contains rotating mesocyclone, rain and hail shaft and an approaching gust front in the open countryside of eastern New Mexico.
A shelf cloud develops on the leading edge as a large area of rain and hail fill in the base of the storm near Milnesand, N.M.
The features of a curved cloud show the location of mesocyclone within the rotating supercell thunderstorm as rain and large hail fall in the downdraft region. Hail with diameter of 2 ½ inches was reported with the storm pictured above.
Darby Johnson '19, Charlie Hollister '18, Molly Neureuter '18 and Peyton Capute '18 relax after loading the van on day four of storm chasing.
During a period of fair weather while traveling from Texas to eastern Colorado, students and faculty explored Palo Duro Canyon State Park located south of Amarillo.
Alan Dubrovsky '20, Darby Johnson '19, Molly Neureuter '18, Peyton Capute '18, Caitlin Crossett '15, Aubrey Phillips '18 and Charlie Hollister '18 take a photo near the lighthouse rock formation in Palo Duro Canyon.
Students approach the lighthouse rock formation in Palo Duro Canyon.
Alan Dubrovsky '20 stands witt Palo Duro Canyon in the background.
Students in Geoscience 299 take a photo at Palo Duro Canyon State Park.
The group stops at point where Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado meet.
Students and faculty pose at the small tower marking point of Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado.
Darby Johnson '19 and Aubrey Phillips '18 observe developing storms and virga, rain being evaporated before reaching the ground, below the distant storms.
Students and faculty observe a supercell thunderstorm near Cope, Colo.
Near Oakley, Kansas, with mammatus clouds in the background, students and faculty take a photo.
Charlie Hollister '18 and Marie Hamet '19 prepare to launch a weather balloon near Seibert, Colo.
An ominous sky associated with a supercell thunderstorm near Oakley, Kansas
A panoramic view of a supercell thunderstorm near Oakley, Kansas.
Assistant Professor of Geoscience Nick Metz (center) helps students prepare a weather balloon for launch outside of Limon, Colorado.
Darby Johnson '19, Molly Neureuter '18, Peyton Capute '18, Marie Hamet '19, Lili Dash '19 and Aubrey Phillips '18 watch a supercell thunderstorm near Last Chance, Colo.
Sam Bartlett '18 sets up an iPad to create a time lapse of a supercell thunderstorm near Last Chance, Colo.
A panoramic view of a supercell thunderstorm.
A cloud-to-ground lightning strike associated with a supercell.
A rotating wall cloud near Lindon, Colo. A brief tornado was produced in the same region as this feature.
A supercell thunderstorm near Lindon, Colo.
Charlie Hollister '18 photographs a shelf cloud associated with a supercell thunderstorm near Anton, Colo.
A shelf cloud near Anton, Colo.
Caitlin Crossett '15, Assistant Professor of Geoscience Nick Metz and students prepare for the long drive back to Geneva, N.Y. from central Texas.