Sound from Tornados ?

[Bernd Treine]

We had a small tornado in our area recently. Witnesses were
reporting about a very loud noise.

I have read about this several times but only now I start asking
myself the question : How exactly is this noise generated ?

I posted my question to the acoustics news group. One reply but no
answer. This is depressing !

A tornado seems to be an object of a quite regular shape, without
any discrete moving parts, edges, or anything that I could think
of as generating these oscillations.

Engineers that use vortex motion for technical processes could possibly
know. I have seen shock absorbers in vortex tubes, for example.

I am very interested in answers and theories, so please reply if
you have any ideas or if you can point me into the right direction.

Many thanks.

Please e-mail to :
--

Bernd Treine
b...@actrix.gen.nz

[Robert Macy]

BT>We had a small tornado in our area recently. Witnesses were
BT>reporting about a very loud noise.

BT>I have read about this several times but only now I start asking
BT>myself the question : How exactly is this noise generated ?

Conjecture: the noise is generated by the turbulence of the air in the
vortex.

It should sound like a low frequency jet engine. Not the high pitched
scream, but the sound you get from a jet in the distance *without* the
fading channel transmission. Therefore, a low frequency roar.
Sometimes described as sounding like a train.

People use references they're familiar with. It's very difficult to
invent new terminology with only one experience.

- Robert -

* OLX 2.1 TD * Most expensive vehicle per mile is the shopping cart.