NCAR-designed ÒThunderstorm DetectivesÓ exhibition hits the road

ÒThunderstorm Detectives,Ó an interactive traveling exhibit about a 
new radar system that can detect and warn aircraft pilots of dangerous 
weather conditions, begins a two-year national tour in January.  The 
exhibit documents how a team of scientists, mathematicians, 
engineers, and policymakers worked together to create the Terminal 
Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR), which detects and warns pilots of 
microbursts, a highly localized and deadly form of wind shear.  The 
exhibit is composed of five modular components and occupies roughly 
1,400 to 1,600 square feet (132 to 150 square meters).  It includes large 
photomurals of towering cumulonimbus clouds, video footage of 
dynamic weather processes, computer-aided thunderstorm simulators, 
scientific tools, hands-on devices, and profiles of individuals who 
developed the TDWR system.

Visitors to the exhibition can experiment with a computer-aided 
simulation of a thunderstorm to explore how storms grow, evolve, 
and die.  They can manipulate storm parameters and see their effects 
on storm behavior.  Interactive simulators allow them to create their 
own small-scale microbursts in a fluid-filled tank.  In one section, 
visitors walk into a simulated air traffic control tower, experiencing 
firsthand how the system works. 

The exhibition was developed by NCAR, under exhibit coordinator 
Steven Davis, with support from the National Science Foundation and 
the Federal Aviation Administration.   Its nationwide tour is managed 
by the Association of Science Technology Centers.  A schedule of its 
travels follows.  For further information, contact Linda Carbone, 
NCAR.  Phone: 303-497-8612; Internet: lcarbone@ncar.ucar.edu.

Preliminary itinerary for ÒThunderstorm DetectivesÓ
(Note: there are two duplicate exhibits appearing at different places, 
sometimes simultaneously.)

13 November 1993Ð9 January 1994
American Museum of Science & Energy
Oak Ridge, TN

15 JanuaryÐ13 March
Douglas International Airport
Charlotte, NC

29 JanuaryÐ12 June
Carnegie Science Center
Pittsburgh, PA

2 AprilÐ10 July
Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport
Dallas, TX

2 JulyÐ28 August
Science Spectrum
Lubbock, TX

22 OctoberÐ2 January 1995
Kansas City International Airport
Kansas City, MO

3 DecemberÐ29 January 1995
Rochester Museum & Science Center
Rochester, NY

21 JanuaryÐ19 March
Nashville International Airport/
  Cumberland Science Museum
Nashville, TN

18 FebruaryÐ16 April
Catawba Science Center
Hickory, NC

8 AprilÐ4 June
Will Rogers World Airport
Oklahoma City, OK

6 MayÐ2 July
Evansville Museum of Arts and Sciences
Evansville, IN

22 JulyÐ17 September
Lied Discovery ChildrenÕs Museum
Las Vegas, NV

9 SeptemberÐ21 November
Miami International Airport
Miami, FL

7 OctoberÐ3 December
Museum of Science & Industry
Chicago, IL

25 NovemberÐ2 January 1996
Louisville International Airport/
  Museum of History and Science
Louisville, KY