remote sensing Article Ocean–Atmosphere Interactions during Hurricanes Marco and Laura (2020) Emily N. Eley 1,* , Bulusu Subrahmanyam 1 and Corinne B. Trott 2 1 School of the Earth, Ocean and Environment, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA;
[email protected] 2 Naval Research Laboratory, Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, MS 39529, USA;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected] Abstract: During August of the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season, the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) was affected by two subsequent storms, Hurricanes Marco and Laura. Hurricane Marco entered the GoM first (22 August) and was briefly promoted to a Category 1 storm. Hurricane Laura followed Marco closely (25 August) and attained Category 4 status after a period of rapid intensification. Typically, hurricanes do not form this close together; this study aims to explain the existence of both hurricanes through the analysis of air-sea fluxes, local thermodynamics, and upper-level circulation. The GoM and its quality of warm, high ocean heat content waters proved to be a resilient and powerful reservoir of heat and moisture fuel for both hurricanes; however, an area of lower ocean heat content due to circulation dynamics was crucial in the evolution of both Marco and Laura. An analysis of wind shear further explained the evolution of both hurricanes. Furthermore, a suite of satellite observations and ocean model outputs were used to evaluate the biophysical modulations in the GoM. The cold core eddy (CCE) and Mississippi River surface plume had the greatest biophysical oceanic responses; the oceanic modulations were initialized by Marco and extended temporally and Citation: Eley, E.N.; Subrahmanyam, spatially by Laura.