Lev Looney

Lev’s research is focused primarily on tropical cyclone-ocean interactions, as well as advancing observations of these extreme environments. His research has helped quantify the roles atmospheric and oceanic conditions have on tropical cyclone induced ocean surface cooling. He is heavily involved with NOAA’s Saildrone Hurricane Observations project, NOAA’s Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing’s Extreme Event’s program, and the NOAA’s Hurricane Field Program, where he specializes in coordinating both conventional and emerging observing platforms in hurricanes. He works closely with NOAA’s operational centers to advance the research and observations into operations to improve hurricane forecasts. He expands his work into international realms and aims to advance the capacity for collecting observations of the ocean beneath tropical cyclones globally. Lev serves on the steering committee for two UN Decade of Ocean Science For Sustainable Development endorsed efforts, including the Global Ocean Observing System Co-Design Programmes’s Tropical Cyclone Exemplar and the Observing Air-Sea Interactions Strategy (OASIS).