Smithsonian.com

NASA satellite image of Alabama on April 27, 2011 (courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC)

Last week’s devastating tornadoes have left indelible marks on not only the lives of people throughout the South, but also the Earth itself. This image was acquired by NASA’s Aqua satellite on April 27 and shows the tracks of three tornadoes near Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

The tracks are pale brown trails where green trees and plants have been uprooted, leaving disturbed ground. Though faint, the center track runs from southwest of Tuscaloosa, through the gray city, and extends northeast towards Birmingham. Two other tracks run parallel to the center track. The northernmost track lies in an area where the National Weather Service reported a tornado, but no tornado was reported in the vicinity of the more visible southern track. In the southern region, strong winds were reported.

Despite all we know about tornadoes and other forms of severe weather, this latest event emphasizes how much more we still have to learn.

(HT: Bad Astronomy)