My name is Tim Samaras, and I chase the most powerful storms on the
planet. My passion and research is to intercept tornadoes in progress
and deploy small probes directly in their path to record the extreme
weather conditions inside the tornado core. Last year our team measured
the largest barometric pressure drop ever recorded on June 24, 2003
of over 100 millibars as it destroyed the small hamlet of Manchester,
South Dakota. The data has revealed several “secrets” of
the inside of a violent tornado. I’m also featured in the April
2004 issue of National Geographic magazine, where a photographer was
with me during the deployments and has captured some of the most astounding
tornado images ever on film.
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National
Geographic - April 2004
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National
Geographic - April 2004
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Every year my pursuit takes me to the great plains where I journey
over 35,000 miles over 12 states within a period of two months. Using
a petroleum-based motor oil, I used to change my motor oil every couple
of days! Based upon these frequent changes, I decided to switch to
AMSOIL synthetic motor oil, where I have extended my oil changes to
over 7,500 miles! My vehicle has already seen some incredible abuse
so far this year with over 15 tornadoes intercepted, where I’ve
only had to change the oil three times, as my vehicle has already
accumulated over 24,000 miles in May alone!
Tim Samaras
June 2004
