VORTEX (Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment) was a teaming of knowledge from many sources--National Severe Storms Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the University of Oklahoma and its Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms, and the National Center for Atmospheric Research to name a few. The participants studied supercell thunderstorms and the tornadoes produced through the life cycle of the storm. The project lasted from 01 April through 15 June in both 1994 and 1995. Ten tornadoes were observed from formation to dissipation in hopes of learning why certain storms spawn tornadoes but not others. The data that was collected is currently being processed. So much data was collected that it will take years to go through.
Brian F. Jewett