Development and Deployment of an Extreme Turbulence (ET) Probe for Hurricane and High-Wind Research

Abstract

Turbulence plays an important role both in the development of tropical cyclones and in the property damage associated with such storms. Turbulent exchanges of heat and momentum between the atmosphere and the underlying surface are a primary driving factor in the intensification and decline of tropical cyclones. The damage patterns created by tropical cyclones at landfall are often associated with peak turbulent wind gusts and not just the sustained winds. Few in-situ observations of turbulence and surface fluxes have been made in the extreme environment associated with these tropical systems. Most research-grade turbulence instruments are not designed to function in hurricane-force winds, and they work poorly in heavy rain. An Extreme Turbulence (ET) probe is being developed to measure near-surface winds, turbulence, and fluxes in the high winds and precipitation rates encountered in tropical cyclones. This probe also has potential uses in other storms capable of producing high winds.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 30, 2005
Accession Number
ADA572848

Entities

People

  • Randall C. Johnson
  • Richard M. Eckman
  • Ronald J. Dobosy

Organizations

  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Anemometers
  • Atmospheric Motion
  • Boundary Layer
  • Cyclones
  • Deployment
  • Environment
  • Extreme Environments
  • Fixed Wing Aircraft
  • Hurricanes
  • Momentum
  • Observation
  • Pressure Distribution
  • Storms
  • Tropical Cyclones
  • Turbulence
  • Wind

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Atmospheric Science/Meteorology
  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers