March 15, 2018
Weather Channel's Greg Forbes to present Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecture
The K-State chapter of Sigma Xi, a scientific research society, will host Greg Forbes, The Weather Channel's severe weather expert, for the 2018 Distinguished Lecture.
Forbes will present "Severe Thunderstorms and Tornadoes-Understanding Them and Staying Safe" at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 26, in 1073 Rathbone Hall, Paslay Auditorium, in the Engineering Complex. A reception will start at 7 p.m. The lecture is open to the public.
Much is still unknown about severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. Forbes will explore what we understand about tornado formation, but why the false alarm rate remains rather high for tornado warnings. Forbes also will briefly discuss the possible impacts of climate change on severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.
Forbes received his doctorate from the University of Chicago, where he studied tornadoes and severe thunderstorms under Professor T. Theodore Fujita — world-famous for his invention of the F-scale used to rate tornadoes and for his discovery of narrow, intense thunderstorm downdrafts called microbursts. Forbes joined the faculty in the department of meteorology at Pennsylvania State University, where, as assistant and then associate professor, he taught courses in weather analysis and forecasting, natural disasters and other topics. Forbes moved to the Weather Channel in 1999. He is a fellow of the American Meteorological Society and is a past member of the Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate of the National Research Council.
The seminar is co-sponsored by the agronomy, biochemistry and molecular biophysics and chemistry departments and the Division of Biology.