Research Summaries

Back NASA Hurricane and Sever Storm Sentinel (HS3) Observations for Testing Environmental Control

Fiscal Year 2013
Division Graduate School of Engineering & Applied Science
Department Meteorology
Investigator(s) Harr, Patrick A.
Sponsor National Aeronautics & Space Administration - Goddard Space Flight Center (Other-Fed)
Summary Advancement in the understanding and prediction of tropical cyclone formation and intensification requires observational studies of the combined effects of vertical wind shear, evaporative cooling in saturated convective-scale downdrafts, and the physical processes occurring along two air streams: (i) an equatorial source of warm, moist air with maximum winds in the mid-troposphere. Although a mesoscale convective circulation is considered to be an essential element, it is hypothesized that the environment properties in the two air streams control the timing and location of the formation of the tropical cyclone. Global Hawk observations are required along both air streams flowing into the region of the pre-tropical cyclone seedling. The objectives are to document the environment conditions and the physical processes that lead to the spin-up of the mesoscale vortex that becomes the inner core of the tropical cyclone to the southeast of the synoptic-scale circulation center, but inhibit formation to the northwest.
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Publications Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal
Data Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal