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Hurricane Boundary Layer Small-Scale Coherent Features

Principal Investigator: Sylvie Lorsolo (HRD/CIMAS)
Collaborating scientist:
Peter Black (NRL)
Peter Dodge (AOML/HRD)
John Gamache (AOML/HRD)
Jim Carswell (Remote Sensing Solutions Inc.)

Objective:

Analyze the structure of turbulent coherent features of the HBL to better understand their role in boundary layer vertical fluxes and impact on the surface wind field.

Methodology:

Process and analyze the Integrated Wind and Rain Atmospheric Profiler (IWRAP) data from Hurricane Rita (2005) to study the three-dimensional circulation of the coherent features and estimate boundary layer vertical momentum fluxes. Examine variations of the fluxes and the characteristics of the coherent features as a function of height, radius, quadrant and shear.

Accomplishments

One P3 equipped with an IWRAP flew in Hurricane Rita (2005) and successfully gathered data.

References:

  • Esteban Fernandez, D., Kerr, E., Castells, A., Frasier, S., Carswell, J., Chang, P., Black, P., Marks, F., 2005: IWRAP: the Imaging Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler for Remote Sensing of the Ocean and the Atmospheric Boundary Layer within Tropical Cyclones, IEEE Trans. Geosci. & Rem. Sensing, 43, 1775-1787.

  • Foster, R. C., 2005: Why rolls are prevalent in the hurricane boundary layer., J. Atmos Sci., 62, 2647-2661.

  • Morrison, I., S. Businger, F. Marks, P. Dodge, and J. A. Businger, 2005: An observational case for the prevalence of roll vortices in the hurricane boundary layer., J. Atmos. Sci., 62, 2662-2673.

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Last Modified : Oct. 11, 2007

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