Tower to measure wind speeds

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Measurements obtained from a new weather tower installed at the University of Missouri-Columbia will provide clues about whether the area could produce wind power.

The tower is at Sanborn Field, a more than century old agricultural research area with a long history of weather data collection. Devices installed on the tower will measure how wind speed and direction are affected by buildings and other structures in urban areas, said Ali Koleiny, a graduate student in soil and atmospheric sciences.

"It may be part of a big plan to see if Missouri can capitalize on wind energy and help the environment," Koleiny said.

A grant obtained by two University of Missouri researchers and their partners at Lincoln University paid for the structure at Sanborn Field and an identical one at the Columbia school's South Farm.