David Nield SCIENCE ALERT 16/5/2021
Previously undiscovered underwater currents can seriously increase the power of hurricanes, a new study shows, research which should make storm system forecasts more accurate in the future.
Previously undiscovered underwater currents can seriously increase the power of hurricanes, a new study shows, research which should make storm system forecasts more accurate in the future.
© NASA
The findings were made through detailed measurements of the 2017 Category 5 storm Hurricane Maria, taken from a suite of subsurface oceanographic instruments. The analysis revealed interactions between ocean islands and the hurricane that fed the storm with more and more energy.
Researchers estimate that Hurricane Maria gained up to 65 percent more potential intensity because of the sloping shelf patterns of the island shorelines, which produced currents that strengthened and stabilized the different bands of temperature in the ocean.
"We were surprised to find that the direction of the approaching hurricane winds relative to the coastline kept the ocean surface layer distinctly warmer compared to the colder waters below," says oceanographer Olivia Cheriton, from the US Geological Survey (USGS).
"This is important because warmer sea surface temperatures provided more energy for the storm."
Sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) are one of the main factors controlling the energy in a hurricane, and in this case the records showed that waters around the coasts of the battered islands didn't cool down until at least 11 hours after Hurricane Maria had passed.
The stratification or layering of temperatures plays a big part in cooling rates, because it means warmer and cooler waters don't mix. The researchers' data showed how a warm layer of water was kept trapped by rising pressure underneath and strong ocean currents (produced by the hurricane winds) from above.
Underlying ocean temperature changes aren't currently factored into hurricane model simulations, but the researchers show that these shifts can control both the intensity and the direction of a storm system.
There are thousands of islands in tropical oceans that could be hit by similar sorts of hurricane systems, and the new data – which is of a much higher resolution than recordings made by satellites or buoys – should help produce more accurate forecasts.
"While hurricane research along the US Gulf and East Coasts continues to advance, much less is understood about hurricane interactions with small islands, whose communities are especially vulnerable to hurricane impacts," says geologist Curt Storlazzi from USGS.
diagram, map: hurricane chart
Auto Rotation On
Full Screen
1/1 SLIDES © Provided by ScienceAlert
hurricane chartOcean currents identified by researchers as the eye of the hurricane passes. (Cheriton et al., Science Advances, 2021)
We're all well aware of the devastating impact of hurricanes, and Maria was responsible for more than 3,000 deaths, more than $90 billion in damage, and the longest blackout the US has ever seen. Improving hurricane forecasting is a crucial part of the work to try and reduce those kinds of impacts.
Human life and critical infrastructure can be better protected if people know what's coming, and as the planet warms up we're seeing more hurricanes of greater intensity – so experts need all the data they can get to better understand them.
Interestingly, the array of high-resolution ocean measurement tools that captured all this valuable full-column water temperature data weren't put in place to measure Hurricane Maria – the instruments were there to study coral reefs around Puerto Rico, until the storm came along.
"We had originally planned to recover the instruments in October 2017, but that all changed after Hurricane Maria," says geological oceanographer Clark Sherman, from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez.
"It was not until January 2018 that we were able to get back in the water and we weren't sure what, if anything, would still be there."
The research has been published in Science Advances.
The findings were made through detailed measurements of the 2017 Category 5 storm Hurricane Maria, taken from a suite of subsurface oceanographic instruments. The analysis revealed interactions between ocean islands and the hurricane that fed the storm with more and more energy.
Researchers estimate that Hurricane Maria gained up to 65 percent more potential intensity because of the sloping shelf patterns of the island shorelines, which produced currents that strengthened and stabilized the different bands of temperature in the ocean.
"We were surprised to find that the direction of the approaching hurricane winds relative to the coastline kept the ocean surface layer distinctly warmer compared to the colder waters below," says oceanographer Olivia Cheriton, from the US Geological Survey (USGS).
"This is important because warmer sea surface temperatures provided more energy for the storm."
Sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) are one of the main factors controlling the energy in a hurricane, and in this case the records showed that waters around the coasts of the battered islands didn't cool down until at least 11 hours after Hurricane Maria had passed.
The stratification or layering of temperatures plays a big part in cooling rates, because it means warmer and cooler waters don't mix. The researchers' data showed how a warm layer of water was kept trapped by rising pressure underneath and strong ocean currents (produced by the hurricane winds) from above.
Underlying ocean temperature changes aren't currently factored into hurricane model simulations, but the researchers show that these shifts can control both the intensity and the direction of a storm system.
There are thousands of islands in tropical oceans that could be hit by similar sorts of hurricane systems, and the new data – which is of a much higher resolution than recordings made by satellites or buoys – should help produce more accurate forecasts.
"While hurricane research along the US Gulf and East Coasts continues to advance, much less is understood about hurricane interactions with small islands, whose communities are especially vulnerable to hurricane impacts," says geologist Curt Storlazzi from USGS.
diagram, map: hurricane chart
Auto Rotation On
Full Screen
1/1 SLIDES © Provided by ScienceAlert
hurricane chartOcean currents identified by researchers as the eye of the hurricane passes. (Cheriton et al., Science Advances, 2021)
We're all well aware of the devastating impact of hurricanes, and Maria was responsible for more than 3,000 deaths, more than $90 billion in damage, and the longest blackout the US has ever seen. Improving hurricane forecasting is a crucial part of the work to try and reduce those kinds of impacts.
Human life and critical infrastructure can be better protected if people know what's coming, and as the planet warms up we're seeing more hurricanes of greater intensity – so experts need all the data they can get to better understand them.
Interestingly, the array of high-resolution ocean measurement tools that captured all this valuable full-column water temperature data weren't put in place to measure Hurricane Maria – the instruments were there to study coral reefs around Puerto Rico, until the storm came along.
"We had originally planned to recover the instruments in October 2017, but that all changed after Hurricane Maria," says geological oceanographer Clark Sherman, from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez.
"It was not until January 2018 that we were able to get back in the water and we weren't sure what, if anything, would still be there."
The research has been published in Science Advances.
USGS Scientists Add Another Piece to Puzzle of How Hurricanes Can Gain Strength
New Info May Aid Forecasting, Save Lives & Protect Infrastructure
Release Date: MAY 12, 2021
Unique observations collected by U.S. Geological Survey scientists during Hurricane Maria in 2017, revealed previously unknown ocean processes that may aid in more accurate hurricane forecasting and impact predictions.
Such forecasting is critical in preparing communities in the storm's path to help minimize the loss of life and the long-term repercussions of damage to critical infrastructure such as airports, communications networks, roads and power grids.
The research,published in the journal Science Advances, reveals how the interaction between ocean islands and extreme storms can generate underwater currents that make the storms more powerful. The results are applicable to the thousands of islands in the world's tropical oceans subject to these types of weather systems.
"We were surprised to find that the direction of the approaching hurricane winds relative to the coastline kept the ocean surface layer distinctly warmer compared to the colder waters below," said USGS oceanographer Olivia Cheriton, lead author of the paper. "This is important because warmer sea surface temperatures provided more energy for the storm."
The underwater instrument package that collected the high-resolution ocean observations during Hurricane Maria. The package included an acoustic current profiler, an acoustic current velocimeter, and temperature, salinity, and turbidity sensors and was deployed at a depth of 54 meters, 12 kilometers offshore of La Parguera, Puerto Rico. Photo taken July 27, 2017 looking south-southwest.
(Credit: Evan Tuohy, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez. Public domain.)
Researchers from the USGS and the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez did not set out to make observations during a hurricane. In the summer of 2017, they deployed a large suite of subsurface oceanographic instruments off the southwest coast of Puerto Rico to study the area's coral reefs. Those plans changed when Hurricane Maria, the strongest weather system to hit Puerto Rico since 1928, made landfall on Sept. 20, 2017.
"We had originally planned to recover the instruments in October 2017, but that all changed after Hurricane Maria," said Clark Sherman, UPR-M professor of marine science. "It was not until January 2018 that we were able to get back in the water and we weren't sure what, if anything, would still be there."
The instruments not only survived the passage of Hurricane Maria, they collected a rare, high-resolution set of underwater ocean observations not detectable by more common surface observation platforms, such as buoys or satellites. In addition, this type of subsurface information is not currently incorporated into ocean hurricane model simulations. Doing so may improve forecasts.
Understanding how the underlying ocean temperature changes in response to hurricane forces is critical to accurately forecasting the tracks and intensities of extreme storms. Hurricane Maria caused thousands of deaths, more than $90 billion in damage and the largest electrical blackout in U.S. history.
"While hurricane research along the U.S. Gulf and East Coasts continues to advance, much less is understood about hurricane interactions with small islands, whose communities are especially vulnerable to hurricane impacts," said Curt Storlazzi, USGS research geologist and the project's chief scientist.
Information from this study is intended for use by a wide variety of scientists and emergency managers working on hurricane forecasts and impacts to coastal communities.
Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey Add Another Piece to the Hurricanes' Puzzle Can Gain Strength
New Information Could Help Develop Future Forecasts, Save Lives and Protect Essential Infrastructures
Warm waters off the coast of Puerto Rico were able to increase the intensity of Hurricane Maria in September 2017 according to recently published data. Observations show unknown ocean processes so far that could help predict more certainly hurricane forecasts and impacts.
Research published in the scientific journal Science Advances reveals how the combination of strong hurricane-force winds and a steep ocean-platform island can generate underwater currents that keep the ocean surface warm, providing more energy for extreme storms.
Researchers from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus (UPRM) were not planning to comment during a hurricane. In the summer of 2017, they placed a series of oceanographic instruments leaving the southwest coast of Puerto Rico to study coral reefs in that region. These plans changed when Hurricane Maria, the most powerful atmospheric phenomenon that has passed through Puerto Rico since 1928, hit the island on September 20, 2017.
"We planned to extract the instruments in October 2017, but all that changed after Hurricane Maria passed," said Clark Sherman, UPRM's professor of Marine Sciences. "It wasn't until January 2018 that we were able to go to the ocean and we weren't sure if we were going to find some instruments there."
The instruments not only survived the passage of Hurricane Maria, but unusual high-resolution underwater data were obtained.
"We were surprised to discover that the direction in which hurricane winds approached relative to the coastline kept the ocean surface layer warmer compared to the colder waters in the underwater layers," said Olivia Cheriton, USGS oceanographer and lead author of this scientific paper. "This is an important finding, because hotter waters on the surface provide more energy for storms."
Understanding how the underlying temperature of the ocean changes in response to hurricane forces is critical to accurately forecasting the trajectories and intensities of extreme storms. This coastal underwater dynamics could not have been detected by common surface platforms such as buoys or satellites and are not currently implemented in computer models for hurricane simulations.
Hurricane Maria caused thousands of deaths, more than $90 billion in damage, and the largest electric blackout in U.S. history. "As hurricane research across the U.S. continent continues to progress, less is known about the interaction of hurricanes with small islands, whose communities are vulnerable to hurricane impact," said Curt Storlazzi, USGS research geologist and head of this project.
The information in this study applies to the thousands of islands in the world's tropical oceans subjected to extreme storms and is intended for use by a wide variety of scientists and emergency handlers working on hurricane forecasts and impacts in coastal communities.
Related Content
Science
New Info May Aid Forecasting, Save Lives & Protect Infrastructure
Release Date: MAY 12, 2021
Unique observations collected by U.S. Geological Survey scientists during Hurricane Maria in 2017, revealed previously unknown ocean processes that may aid in more accurate hurricane forecasting and impact predictions.
Such forecasting is critical in preparing communities in the storm's path to help minimize the loss of life and the long-term repercussions of damage to critical infrastructure such as airports, communications networks, roads and power grids.
The research,published in the journal Science Advances, reveals how the interaction between ocean islands and extreme storms can generate underwater currents that make the storms more powerful. The results are applicable to the thousands of islands in the world's tropical oceans subject to these types of weather systems.
"We were surprised to find that the direction of the approaching hurricane winds relative to the coastline kept the ocean surface layer distinctly warmer compared to the colder waters below," said USGS oceanographer Olivia Cheriton, lead author of the paper. "This is important because warmer sea surface temperatures provided more energy for the storm."
The underwater instrument package that collected the high-resolution ocean observations during Hurricane Maria. The package included an acoustic current profiler, an acoustic current velocimeter, and temperature, salinity, and turbidity sensors and was deployed at a depth of 54 meters, 12 kilometers offshore of La Parguera, Puerto Rico. Photo taken July 27, 2017 looking south-southwest.
(Credit: Evan Tuohy, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez. Public domain.)
Researchers from the USGS and the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez did not set out to make observations during a hurricane. In the summer of 2017, they deployed a large suite of subsurface oceanographic instruments off the southwest coast of Puerto Rico to study the area's coral reefs. Those plans changed when Hurricane Maria, the strongest weather system to hit Puerto Rico since 1928, made landfall on Sept. 20, 2017.
"We had originally planned to recover the instruments in October 2017, but that all changed after Hurricane Maria," said Clark Sherman, UPR-M professor of marine science. "It was not until January 2018 that we were able to get back in the water and we weren't sure what, if anything, would still be there."
The instruments not only survived the passage of Hurricane Maria, they collected a rare, high-resolution set of underwater ocean observations not detectable by more common surface observation platforms, such as buoys or satellites. In addition, this type of subsurface information is not currently incorporated into ocean hurricane model simulations. Doing so may improve forecasts.
Understanding how the underlying ocean temperature changes in response to hurricane forces is critical to accurately forecasting the tracks and intensities of extreme storms. Hurricane Maria caused thousands of deaths, more than $90 billion in damage and the largest electrical blackout in U.S. history.
"While hurricane research along the U.S. Gulf and East Coasts continues to advance, much less is understood about hurricane interactions with small islands, whose communities are especially vulnerable to hurricane impacts," said Curt Storlazzi, USGS research geologist and the project's chief scientist.
Information from this study is intended for use by a wide variety of scientists and emergency managers working on hurricane forecasts and impacts to coastal communities.
Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey Add Another Piece to the Hurricanes' Puzzle Can Gain Strength
New Information Could Help Develop Future Forecasts, Save Lives and Protect Essential Infrastructures
Warm waters off the coast of Puerto Rico were able to increase the intensity of Hurricane Maria in September 2017 according to recently published data. Observations show unknown ocean processes so far that could help predict more certainly hurricane forecasts and impacts.
Research published in the scientific journal Science Advances reveals how the combination of strong hurricane-force winds and a steep ocean-platform island can generate underwater currents that keep the ocean surface warm, providing more energy for extreme storms.
Researchers from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus (UPRM) were not planning to comment during a hurricane. In the summer of 2017, they placed a series of oceanographic instruments leaving the southwest coast of Puerto Rico to study coral reefs in that region. These plans changed when Hurricane Maria, the most powerful atmospheric phenomenon that has passed through Puerto Rico since 1928, hit the island on September 20, 2017.
"We planned to extract the instruments in October 2017, but all that changed after Hurricane Maria passed," said Clark Sherman, UPRM's professor of Marine Sciences. "It wasn't until January 2018 that we were able to go to the ocean and we weren't sure if we were going to find some instruments there."
The instruments not only survived the passage of Hurricane Maria, but unusual high-resolution underwater data were obtained.
"We were surprised to discover that the direction in which hurricane winds approached relative to the coastline kept the ocean surface layer warmer compared to the colder waters in the underwater layers," said Olivia Cheriton, USGS oceanographer and lead author of this scientific paper. "This is an important finding, because hotter waters on the surface provide more energy for storms."
Understanding how the underlying temperature of the ocean changes in response to hurricane forces is critical to accurately forecasting the trajectories and intensities of extreme storms. This coastal underwater dynamics could not have been detected by common surface platforms such as buoys or satellites and are not currently implemented in computer models for hurricane simulations.
Hurricane Maria caused thousands of deaths, more than $90 billion in damage, and the largest electric blackout in U.S. history. "As hurricane research across the U.S. continent continues to progress, less is known about the interaction of hurricanes with small islands, whose communities are vulnerable to hurricane impact," said Curt Storlazzi, USGS research geologist and head of this project.
The information in this study applies to the thousands of islands in the world's tropical oceans subjected to extreme storms and is intended for use by a wide variety of scientists and emergency handlers working on hurricane forecasts and impacts in coastal communities.
Related Content
Science
No comments:
Post a Comment