Can giant walls protect the USA from tornadoes?

[joseephuss]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2014/02/25/giant-walls-tornado-alley/5808887/

Can giant walls protect the USA from tornadoes?

Forget the Great Wall of China. How about the Great Wall of ... Kansas?

One scientist thinks we can protect parts of the central USA from ferocious tornadoes by building several gigantic walls across Tornado Alley:

"If we build three east-west great walls in the American Midwest .... one in North Dakota, one along the border between Kansas and Oklahoma to the east, and the third one in south Texas and Louisiana, we will diminish the tornado threats in the Tornado Alley forever," according to physicist Rongjia Tao of Temple University.

The walls would need to be about 1,000 feet high and 150 feet wide, he said. Tao is presenting his research next week at the annual meeting of the American Physical Society in Denver.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

South Park will have fun with that if it ever comes to fruition.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Sounds like the wall at Castle Black.

Instead of building it where the guy is talking we need to build it along the US/Canada border in order to keep out the Canadians like Bieber.

 

[PJTHEDOORS]

"Aside from the cost of $60 billion per 100 miles..."

That guy smokes some bad stuff.

 

[burmafrd]

costs more than it would save depending on the monetary value you place on human lives.

 

[DFWJC]

"Aside from the cost of $60 billion per 100 miles..."

That guy smokes some bad stuff.

I hear you...but we have been printing 85 billion per month in fake money already for years.

Still seems like fantasy though.

 

[Kevinicus]

The walls would need to be about 1,000 feet high and 150 feet wide, he said.

Oh, is that all?

 

[Denim Chicken]

I can't read the article at work, so I'm having trouble wrapping my head around how a wall can stop a tornado.

 

[Nova]

I can't read the article at work, so I'm having trouble wrapping my head around how a wall can stop a tornado.

More prevention than stopping.

Tornadoes are caused by the clash of cold brisk air and warm humid air. Tornado Alley exists because it's a bunch of flat plains in between cold Canada and the warm, humid gulf, with the Rockies and Appalachian mountains on either side.

So the walls would be kind of a synthetic east to west mountain range that would slow, or deflect cold currents in hopes to prevent tornadoes.

Obviously wouldn't prevent all tornadoes, but may actually help reduce the amount.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

It is no coincidence that neitehr China nor Berlin half/had tornados.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

What do Kansas need to protect? Silos? Barnes?

 

[PJTHEDOORS]

What do Kansas need to protect? Silos? Barnes?

They do have some strong ones sometimes in both China & Germany..

" A fair number of weak and occasionally strong tornadoes occur annually in Germany, Italy, Spain, China and the Philippines. Australia, France, Russia, areas of the Middle East, India, Bangladesh and Japan have a history of multiple damaging tornado events."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tornado_climatology

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

They do have some strong ones sometimes in both China & Germany..

" A fair number of weak and occasionally strong tornadoes occur annually in Germany, Italy, Spain, China and the Philippines. Australia, France, Russia, areas of the Middle East, India, Bangladesh and Japan have a history of multiple damaging tornado events."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tornado_climatology

Damn. 6 years at MIT and i learned nuthin'.

 

[PJTHEDOORS]

Damn. 6 years at MIT and i learned nuthin'.

I'm an idiot. So don't feel bad. I quoted the wrong post of yours. Sorry.

Mr Murrow, this helps my vision...

 

[big dog cowboy]

What do Kansas need to protect? Silos? Barnes?

Thanks no offense taken.

 

[Kristen82]

Didn't work in "Pacific Rim" so why would they think it would work against tornadoes?

 

[Manwiththeplan]

costs more than it would save depending on the monetary value you place on human lives.

lmao, that's cold man

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

Thanks no offense taken.

furthermore and in additnally, do Kansas need to protect the little known vault filled with farm subsidy checks on the estate of Robert dole? Or protect the grain stores near leavinworth in case of attack by the China communists? I say we need to protect all of kansas because the jayhawkins peeps would want us to protect that square state. Also, i hear that square dancing is mighty popular there so i wold not want no tornados attacking the square dance jubilees and especially the state finals. You are welcomed.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

I'm an idiot. So don't feel bad. I quoted the wrong post of yours. Sorry.

Mr Murrow, this helps my vision...

Who is the man in the suit. does he love Marilyn?

 

[Nova]

Didn't work in "Pacific Rim" so why would they think it would work against tornadoes?

Not to steer the thread too far off course, but why not just have all the robots sit around that hole they were coming out of instead of spending tons of money on walls that didn't work?