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NEWSLETTER Winter 2008-2009

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NEWSLETTER Winter 2008-2009 RESEARCH ASSOCIATESHIP PROGRAMS NEWSLETTER Winter 2008-2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS NOAA AOML Hurricane Research 2 NOAA AOML Hurricane Hunters—Zhang and Marks 3 Hurricane Research NRC Participating Agencies 4 The Hurricane Research Division (HRD) is part of the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) which is part of AFRL John L. McLucas Award for Basic the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They are engaged Research—Kozma and Perlovsky 5 in advancing the basic physical understanding and improving the forecasts of hurricanes and tropical meteorological systems. A key aspect of HRD's AMRMC—Yershov Blackwell Award 6 activity is its annual field program of flights aboard NOAA’s research aircraft (two WP-#D turboprops and a Gulfstream IV-SP jet) flown by FHWA—Arndt receives ASNT Award 7 NOAA's Aircraft Operations Center. Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award-- HISTORY Kathryn Wahl 8 The Division began fifty years ago as the National Hurricane Research Project and has, under various names, continued to conduct scientific re- search into hurricanes and related tropical weather phenomena, using theo- NIST—David J. Wineland Awarded 2007 retical studies, computer models, and an annual field program employing National Medal of Science 9 NOAA hurricane research aircraft. HRD employs meteorologists, com- NRL—Kassim Study Reveals Galaxy puter scientists, and other professionals who collaborate with governmen- Cluster in Collision 10 tal and academic scientists worldwide in this ongoing effort to develop scientific knowledge toward the improvement of forecasts and the ad- vancement of public safety. NRC Exhibits 11 continued on page 2 NOAA Hurricane Hunters article on page 3 Ray Gamble, Ph.D., Director, Research Associateship Programs Suzanne White, Manager, Newsletter Left to right: Dr. Jun Zhang, NOAA/NRC Asso- ciate, Dr. Frank Marks, Jr. NOAA/NRC Adviser The NRC Research Associateship Programs Newsletter is published quarterly to highlight research and activities of NRC Associates and Ad- visers who participate in the programs with our many agencies and labo- ratories. All of our Newsletters are posted on our Web site Newsletter Web page in full-color PDFs. In addition, the full-color, high-gloss ver- sion is printed by the National Academy Press (NAP); and bulk orders of 10 or more are available from our office for distribution at agencies/ laboratories, scientific meetings, NRC meetings, staff visits, and site vis- its. We accept articles throughout the year-- press releases, profiles, 1 – 2 page articles already written and/or submitted to other publications, im- ages, photos, notices, awards, honors, etc. Send all inquiries and submissions to Suzanne White ([email protected]) http://www7.national-academies.org/rap NRC Research Associateship Programs Newsletter Winter 2008-2009 2 continued from pg 1 The Hurricane Research NOAA AOML Hurricane Research Division's (HRD) mission is to ad- vance the understanding and predic- tion of hurricanes and other tropical weather. HRD's research is based on surrounding environment collected in for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), in a combination of computer models, our annual field program using the two particular the Environmental Modeling theories, and observations, with NOAA turboprop aircraft and jet oper- Center and the Tropical Prediction Cen- particular emphasis on data obtained ated by NOAA's Aircraft Operations ter/OAR (NHC). It maintains active re- with research aircraft. Center (AOC). The field program is used search programs with, and receives fund- to carry out scientific experiments de- ing from other governmental agencies, in GOALS signed to address the goals stated above. particular, the Department of the Navy's Data sets gathered by these experiments, Office of Naval Research (ONR) and the 1. Advance the prediction of tropi- combined with dynamical and statistical National Aeronautics and Space Admini- cal cyclone intensity change by im- models and theoretical development, stration (NASA). proving understanding of the proc- span the spectrum of spatial and tempo- In program areas where its is esses that modulate internal storm ral scales, from global to microscale, beneficial to HRD, it arranges coopera- dynamics and storm interactions from seconds to centuries, forming the tive programs with scientists at the Na- with the atmosphere and ocean be- cornerstone of research at HRD. Because tional Center for Atmospheric Research, low; of this extensive field experience HRD and at a number of universities. One of 2. Improve the prediction of tropi- scientists are recognized internationally the highest priority experiments in 2002 cal cyclone tracks through an opti- for their knowledge about tropical cy- was a study of the upper-ocean heat con- mal analysis of observations of field clones, and also for their expertise in tent in collaboration with an NSF spon- observations that enhance under- technological areas such as airborne sored research effort at the University of standing of the interactions between Doppler radar, dropsondes, cloud micro- Miami. Our second-highest priority a tropical cyclone and its environ- physics, and air-sea interaction, to name (through 2004) is the Coupled Boundary ment; a few. These assets make HRD unique Layer Air-Sea Transfer (CBLAST) Ex- worldwide, and provide NOAA a unique periment focused on improving numeri- 3. Improve the understanding of capability. cal model parameterization of the air-sea and ability to predict tropical cy- transfer of energy that fuels the storms. clone frequency and intensity on HRD also intraseasonal, interannual, decadal integrated and longer time scales; and two recent 4. Enhance the ability to diagnose NASA field and predict the impact of tropical experiments, cyclones on life and property the Third and through wind, rain, waves, and Fourth Con- storm surge. vective and Moisture Ex- ACCOMPLISHMENTS periments (CAMEX-3 Designing and conducting re- & 4), into its search experiments in the hurricane field program to collect and provide data for re- in 1998 and search and applications; 2001, respec- Analyzing these data sets and tively. NASA publishing the research in the refe- is considering reed literature; a Fifth Developing new technology CAMEX in and applications based on this re- 2005. Our search to improve NOAA's prod- current re- ucts; and search staff Providing outreach to the public consists of 23 through the internet, conferences, full-time em- presentations, and other means. Left to right: Dr. Jun Zhang, NRC/NOAA Associate, Dr. F. Marks, Jr. NRC/NOAA Adviser ployees and 8 employees FIELD RESEARCH COORDINATION & PROJECTS working under a cooperative joint agree- Much of HRD's research is ment with the University of Miami's based on the in situ and remotely- HRD coordinates parts of its CIMAS, and several students working sensed observations in the inner programs with other NOAA organiza- under various contracts. core of tropical cyclones and their tions, e.g. AOC and the National Center http://www7.national-academies.org/rap NRC Research Associateship Programs Newsletter Winter 2008-2009 3 The fluxes of enthalpy and momentum play a vital role in the NOAA Hurricane Hunters development and maintenance of tropical cyclones. The well-known direct turbulent flux measurements were cal scans of Gustav’s structure using the hurricane potential intensity theory carried out in the hurricane boundary Doppler radar located in the aircraft’s tail. states that the intensity of a hurri- layers using a research aircraft instru- Dr. Eric Uhlhorn, hurricane researcher at cane depends strongly on the ratio mented with fast-response turbulence NOAA’s AOML and lead scientist on this of the exchange coefficient of en- sensors. The wind speed range for mo- flight, had developed a flight track that al- thalpy flux to the exchange coeffi- mentum and enthalpy fluxes and ex- lowed the crew to sample all quadrants of the cient of momentum flux (also called change coefficients has been extended hurricane while penetrating Gustav’s eye drag coefficient). Results from nu- by over 50% compared to that in previ- three times to compile observations, surface merical simulations using an axis- ous studies. wind measurements, sea surface tempera- symmetric tropical cyclone model Dr. Jun Zhang, NRC/ tures, and many other parameters all trans- demonstrate that to achieve realistic NOAA Associate, analyzed the mitted in near-real time from the aircraft to intensity of the simulated hurri- CBLAST datasets and found that the improve forecasts and allow scientists to de- /C mostly lies in velop the next generation of hurricane mod- canes, the ratio CK D average ratio of CK/CD is 0.63, signifi- the range of 1.2-1.5 with CK/ cantly below the 0.75 threshold for hurri- els. CD=0.75 as a lowest bound to en- cane development suggested by the hur- As part of NOAA’s commitment to sure model consistency. ricane potential intensity theory. The the safety of its employees, the crew first had Over the last several decades, results published by Dr. Jun Zhang in to complete a mandatory two-day flight although much effort has been made GRL 2008 suggests that the enthalpy safety training with the Federal Aviation Ad- to determine empirically the values flux into the hurricane boundary layer ministration, a process that includes simu- of the momentum and heat ex- required to initiate and sustain hurricane lated survival training in a pool for four change coefficients through meas- envelopment may have to come from hours. urements, one clear limitation of the sources other than air-sea turbulent Dr. Zhang was trained to process the observational results for CK and CD fluxes, or alternatively that the assump- GPS drosponde data that are often used to is that few direct flux data are avail- tions used in the hurricane potential in- determine the intensity of a storm for the able for wind speeds over 20 m/s. tensity theory should be revisited. operational forecast purpose. This experience As part of the ONR-sponsored Cou- Recently, Dr. Zhang, had the op- led him to a greater appreciation of the data pled Boundary Layer Air-Sea Trans- portunity to fly into Hurricane Gustav he has analyzed and published.
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