NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) and the University of Miami's Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) lead several observational programs to collect ocean-atmosphere data in and around tropical cyclones, with the goal of improving process understanding, models, and forecasts. The measurement platforms include aircraft, air-deployed instruments and uncrewed systems, surface uncrewed vehicles, and the sustained ocean observing system (e.g., Argo floats, surface drifting buoys, moored buoys). The focus of this research opportunity is on using this data, in conjunction with satellite observations and numerical model output, to advance understanding of tropical cyclones and their interactions with the ocean. Potential topics include (1) the responses of upper-ocean temperature, salinity, and currents to tropical cyclone wind and surface heat flux forcing, (2) quantification of direct covariance momentum fluxes and drag coefficient in high winds and their dependence on ocean surface wave properties, (3) cross-platform and model-data comparisons as a means to assess the accuracies of different observational platforms and forecast models, (4) effects of upper-ocean and boundary-layer processes on tropical cyclone intensity change.
References:
Chiodi, A. M., et al., 2024: Surface ocean warming in the core of Hurricane Sam and its representation in forecast models. Front. Mar. Sci., 10, 1297974, doi:10.3389/fmars.2023.1297974.
Zhang, J.A., R.F. Rogers, P.D. Reasor, and J. Gamache, 2023: The mean kinematic structure of the tropical cyclone boundary layer and its relationship to intensity change. Mon. Wea. Rev., 151(1), 63-84, doi:10.1175/MWR-D-21-0335.
Wadler, J.B., J.A. Zhang, R.F. Rogers, B. Jaimes, and L.K. Shay. The rapid intensification of Hurricane Michael (2018): Storm structure and the relationship to environmental and air-sea interactions. Mon. Wea. Rev., 149(1), 245-267, doi:10.1175/MWR-D-20-0145.1.
tropical cyclone; hurricane; ocean; sea surface temperature; drag coefficient; boundary layer; saildrone; P-3 hurricane hunter