Dinner meeting - 23 August 2018

We had two first-rate speakers.

First, Dr John LeMarshall from the Bureau of Meteorology showed how geostationary satellite sensors have greatly increased data accuracy and reliable weather prediction.   Professor Le Marshall is a world expert on this subject, and directed a US agency.

Members were much interested in how detection technologies (with GPS) could nail wind speeds, moisture content temperature layers and cyclone tracking.  Prediction accuracy is of huge assistance in deploying emergency services to prepare for flooding and other extremes.  Notably, Australia has no geostationary satellites;  we feed off the data of other countries (Europe and the US).

Next, engineer Tia Gaffney from Hindsight Forensic spoke on the assessment of vehicle hailstone damage claims. 20% of the $712m 2011 Victorian hailstorm damage total arose from hailstones on vehicles, and there have been 11 "major events" in the last decade.

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People are quite inventive with the tools and methods they use to simulate hailstone damage - photos tonight included a golfball in a sock.  

Tia explained what we know about hailstone sizes, densities, speeds (assuming 15 degree C ambient temp), and thus the consequential indentation depth and markings made on steel and aluminium panels.  The prevailing weather, dent distribution, bonnet structure and vehicle covering must also be considered.  Not hard to spot the frauds!   Experiments involving firing hailstones at panels are reported in a paper (Tia as co-author) she is happy to share - info@hindsightforensic.com.au

These forensic engineers are hungry chaps - these three giant parmas were demolished in no time:

Watch this website for details of our next dinner meeting - October 18th.