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As Hurricane Irma approached U.S. shores in September 2017, researchers sponsored
by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) used air-dropped autonomous
sensors to compile real-time ocean observations to help forecasters
predict the strength of future tropical storms.
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A GOES satellite image taken September 7, 2017 at 8:45 a.m. EST
shows Hurricane Irma, center, and Hurricane Jose, right, in the
Atlantic Ocean, and Hurricane Katia in the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane
Irma is a category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of more than 180
mph and is moving west-northwest at 17 mph. The storm struck
Florida with its first landfall at Cudjoe Key in the lower Keys on
September 10th. (U.S.
Navy photo)
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This marked the first time a new, specialized
version of the sensors ... called ALAMO (Air-Launched
Autonomous Micro Observer) sensors ... being used in
hurricane-prediction research. While standard computerized
prediction models rely on atmospheric data like air
temperature, humidity, altitude, and wind speed and
direction, the ALAMO sensors use sophisticated instruments
to gauge water temperature, salinity and pressure beneath
the sea surface.
“Hurricanes like this have a
devastating impact on coastal regions, and our thoughts and
prayers are with the affected communities,” said Chief of
Naval Research Rear Adm. David J. Hahn. “Often, there is an
intersection of military and civilian needs. If we can
improve the lead time and accuracy of storm forecasts, it
would give national and local leadership more time and
detailed information for preparations, evacuation or
shelter-in-place decisions.”
Fully developed
tropical cyclones—called hurricanes or typhoons, depending
on their region—can grow as wide as several hundred miles
and sustain winds greater than 150 miles per hour. With
historically high winds, Hurricane Irma is one of the
strongest storms ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean.
Such storms are notoriously difficult to predict,
presenting a volatile meteorological cocktail that can
change direction, speed and strength—quickly and
unexpectedly. One reason is that current forecasting models
focus on the atmosphere, instead of underwater properties
that contribute to the creation of hurricanes, but are
difficult to observe.
In addition to the potential
catastrophic damage to coastal communities, hurricanes also
pose a severe threat to U.S. Navy fleet operations. Accurate
forecasting is critical for protecting ships at sea,
evacuating vulnerable bases, and performing humanitarian
assistance and disaster relief.
Earlier this week,
the ONR-sponsored research team—composed of U.S. Naval
Academy midshipmen and scientists from Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution—dropped ten ALAMO sensors from an
Air Force C-130 “Hurricane Hunter” aircraft into Caribbean
waters, ahead of the storm. The sensors are continuing to
make observations and will also be used to track ocean
dynamics in the approaching Hurricane Jose.
Short,
metal tubes crammed with sensors and scientific instruments,
each ALAMO sensor sank nearly 1,000 feet underwater and then
rose again. They’ve been tracking ocean temperature,
salinity and pressure, and transmitting this data via
satellite, for use by the Naval Research Laboratory to
update the Navy’s coupled ocean-atmosphere forecasting
models.
“The ALAMO sensors will enable us to get an
accurate picture of conditions in the water column—before,
during and after a hurricane,” said Capt. Elizabeth Sanabia,
an oceanography professor at the Naval Academy, who is
overseeing the research. “For the Navy, this improved
forecasting will increase operational readiness and mitigate
risk. For the nation, it will result in better response
planning and potentially save lives.”
The
participating Naval Academy midshipmen were Casey Densmore,
Kelli Wise and Rachel Boushon.
Once the immediate
danger of Hurricane Irma has passed, the information
accumulated by Sanabia’s team will be used to improve the
Navy’s Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction
System-Tropical Cyclone—COAMPS-TC, for short. COAMPS-TC,
developed with ONR support, uses complex algorithms to
predict hurricane intensity—by processing real-time and
“Our goal is to improve ocean and atmosphere modeling
and prediction for fleet operations,” said Dr. Ronald Ferek,
a program manager in ONR’s Ocean Battlespace Sensing
Department. “The real-time COAMPS-TC forecasts for Hurricane
Irma help the Navy issue operational guidance for fleet
safety, and improve understanding of the complex air-sea
interaction processes that drive the intensity of tropical
hurricanes.”
ONR’s sponsored hurricane research is
part of the Task Force Ocean initiative, which seeks to
strengthen the Navy’s oceanographic capabilities in ocean
sensing and modeling technology.
By U.S. Navy Warren Duffie, Office of Naval Research
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2017
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