AIRBORNE HURRICANE ANALYSIS SYSTEMS
Principal Investigator:
Joseph S. Griffin
Collaborating scientist(s):
Peter Dodge
James L. Franklin
Nancy F. Griffin
Paul A. Leighton
Objective:
To analyze the relatively large amounts of data collected on
board the P-3 aircraft and to transmit key information to
forecasters on the ground.
Rationale:
Since 1989 HRD has been developing an Airborne Hurricane
Analysis System (AHAS). The system was first flown in October
1990 for Tropical Storm Marco. The purpose of the AHAS is to
analyze the relatively large amounts of data collected on board
the aircraft and to transmit key information to forecasters on
the ground. The analysis must be done on board the aircraft
because of the very low bandwidth aircraft to ground
communication link, a part time, roughly 100 baud link on the P-3.
Method:
The airborne P-3 system is capable of producing storm centered
horizontal reflectivity time-composites. The lack of bandwidth
means that close to 50:1 compression ratios must be acheived to
produce a suitable image. Velocity Track Displays (VTD) from the
vertically scanning doppler radar present a representation of
the total 3-dimensional wind field. It also produces WMO-TEMP
DROP messages derived from Omega Dropwindsonde data that are
fed into the NWS models for hurricane track forecasts.
The most recent version has been designed for NOAA's Gulfstream
IV-SP and has been called the Hurricane Analysis and Processing
System (HAPS). This system currently produces WMO-TEMP DROP
messages derived from a new GPS-Sonde. This is in direct support
of the NWS Hurricane Surveillance mission. The HAPS also was
designed to support a much higher sonde drop rate than was
previously used on the P-3 aircraft. As future instrumentation
is added to the G-IV, HRD plans to develop new products for
HAPS such as storm centered composites from a nose radar. This
would allow the support of hurricane reconnaissance and
research missions.
Accomplishment:
These composites have been sent to the forecasters at NHC since
1991. For the 1996 storm season, as of this writing, composites
have been sent for hurricanes Dolly, Edouard (Fig. 1), Fran,
and Hortense. The radar images have been used extensively by NHC
and have provided forecasters with much needed information on
hurricane precipitation structure.
Key references:
Griffin, J. S., R. W. Burpee, F. D. Marks, And J. L. Franklin, 1992: Real-time airborne analysis of aircraft data supporting operational hurricane forecasting. Wea. Forecasting, 7, 480-490.
Last modified: 1/20/98