NOAAs Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory

Time 2020-10-25 06:03:06

Web Name: NOAAs Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory

WebSite: http://www.aoml.noaa.gov

ID:93539

Keywords:

Oceanographic,Atlantic,NOAAs,

Description:

NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological LaboratoryOur research portfolio encompasses ocean, coastal, and atmospheric studies to ready the Nation for changes driven by weather, climate, and pressures on marine ecosystems.Improving Hurricane ForecastsWe fly into storms to directly observe the processes that drive intensity change, employ new technology such as ocean gliders and unmanned aircraft to observe where humans cannot safely go, and get these observations into our evolving and improving hurricane models like the Hurricane Weather Research Forecast (HWRF) model to help NOAA provide the best forecasts possible.Identifying Solutions for Coastal EcosystemsAOML takes an ecosystem-based approach to describing how the physical, chemical, and human environment is connected to and influences marine species. We consider impacts and relationships to coastal systems such as coral reefs, and economically important fish stocks managed by our NOAA and state partners, so that they can best manage resources.Understanding the Global Carbon CycleAOML works with our partners to describe the ocean’s role in the global carbon cycle. Using ships of opportunity, we monitor carbon as it moves between the ocean and the atmosphere. We also look at the impact of increasing amounts of carbon in the ocean, which causes ocean acidification.Understanding the Ocean's Role in Climate Weather AOML leverages data from its ocean observing systems to examine patterns of change in ocean features and how these patterns of change can explain, and even predict, severe weather events such as hurricanes. We also study how the ocean can influence seasonal patterns such as extreme temperatures and drought.Maintaining Ocean Observing SystemsAOML designs, optimizes, and maintains key ocean observing systems with global partners to monitor ocean currents and other properties. We study how ocean changes affect climate and marine ecosystems and build on the current state of knowledge by maintaining valuable, long-term datasets of ocean changes over time to improve earth system predictions.Advancing Environmental ModelingComputer simulations of the natural world help inform decision making and save lives. We work closely with federal, university, and international communities to advance the state of hurricane modeling, inform sound economic investment in observing systems, and understand the impact of resource management decisions.ADVANCING Environmental Modeling Computer simulations of the natural world help inform decision making and save lives. We work closely with federal, academic, and international communities to advance the state of hurricane modeling, inform sound economic investment in observing systems, and understand the impact of resource management decisions.UNDERSTANDING The Global Carbon Cycle AOML works with our partners to describe the ocean’s role in the global carbon cycle. Using ships of opportunity, we monitor carbon as it moves between the ocean and the atmosphere. We also look at the impact of increasing amounts of carbon in the ocean, which causes ocean acidification.IMPROVING Hurricane Forecasts We fly into storms to directly observe the processes that drive intensity change, employ new technology such as ocean gliders and unmanned aircraft to observe where humans cannot safely go, and get these observations into our evolving and improving hurricane models like the Hurricane Weather Research Forecast (HWRF) model to help NOAA provide the best forecasts possible.UNDERSTANDING THE OCEAN'S ROLE In Climate Weather AOML leverages data from its ocean observing systems to examine  patterns of change in ocean features and how these patterns of change can explain, and even predict, severe weather events such as hurricanes. We also study how the ocean can influence seasonal patterns such as extreme temperatures and drought.MAINTAINING Ocean Observing Systems AOML designs, optimizes, and maintains key ocean observing systems with global partners to monitor ocean currents and other properties. We study how ocean changes affect climate and marine ecosystems and build on the current state of knowledge by maintaining valuable, long-term datasets of ocean changes over time to improve earth system predictions.IDENTIFYING SOLUTIONS For Coastal Ecosystems AOML takes an ecosystem-based approach to describing how the physical, chemical, and human environment is connected to and influences marine species. We consider impacts and relationships to coastal systems such as coral reefs and economically important fish stocks managed by our NOAA and state partners, so that they can best manage resources. The research portfolio of NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) encompasses ocean, coastal, and atmospheric studies to deliver NOAA’s future by transferring research results into operations and applications. We focus on improving the prediction of hurricanes, learning about the ocean’s role in climate and extreme weather events, understanding the global impacts of ocean acidification and pollution on coastal ecosystems, and providing insights to help resource managers. AOML leads many international efforts to maintain, optimize, and interpret global observations from ships, satellites, aircraft, drifting buoys, moored instruments, and floats. These observations are the foundation of our research. Read more About Us. Research HighlightsRead our News Stories from the Field, Research Publications, and Events.Project: Monitoring the Ocean Improves Weather ForecastsAOML plays a key role in collecting and maintaining sustained ocean observations that monitor the temperature and salinity of ocean features using drifters, Argo floats, XBTs, moorings, and other platforms.Impact: Adding Ocean Data from Directly Beneath a Storm Leads to More Accurate Hurricane ForecastsUnmanned Ocean Glider data improve our understanding of the current ocean state and are used to initialize hurricane models. Data from gliders passing under Hurricane Gonzalo improved the intensity forecast by one category on the Saffir Simpson Scale.Project: Monitoring Commercially Important Sportfish PopulationsAOML developed a sportfish model that the US Army Corps of Engineers adopted to evaluate the impacts of Everglades Restoration on south Florida’s economically and ecologically important sportfish populations.Impact: Empowers Managers to Evaluate Different Scenarios and Plan for the FutureThe majority of sportfish in south Florida are dependent upon healthy estuaries with natural freshwater runoff. The model shows how sea trout would respond to different management scenarios, giving managers actionable information.Project: HWRF's High Resolution Moving Nest ModuleAOML developed a high resolution moving nest in NOAA's regional hurricane model known as HWRF, increasing resolution over the storm environment. We transition the HWRF model into operations in joint partnership with NOAA's Environmental Modeling Center.Impact: Improved Forecast Accuracy Better Informs Coastal CommunitiesThe HWRF model has improved intensity forecasts by 10- 5 kts in the critical decision making period of 48-72 hours before landfall. This allows people to make informed decisions to prepare their families, homes, and communities.Monitoring the Ocean Improves Weather Forecasts AOML plays a key role in collecting and maintaining sustained ocean observations that monitor the temperature and salinity of ocean features using drifters, Argo floats, XBTs, moorings, and other platforms.Impact: Adding Ocean Data from Directly Beneath a Storm Leads to More Accurate Hurricane ForecastsUnmanned Ocean Glider data improve our understanding of the current ocean state and are used to initialize hurricane models. Data from gliders passing under Hurricane Gonzalo improved the intensity forecast by one category on the Saffir Simpson Scale.Monitoring Commercially Important Sportfish Populations AOML developed a sportfish model that the US Army Corps of Engineers adopted to evaluate the impacts of Everglades Restoration on south Florida’s economically and ecologically important sportfish populations.Impact: Empowers Managers to Evaluate Different Scenarios and Plan for the FutureThe majority of sportfish in south Florida are dependent upon healthy estuaries with natural freshwater runoff. The model shows how sea trout would respond to different management scenarios, giving managers actionable information.HWRF's High Resolution Moving Nest AOML developed a high resolution moving nest in NOAA s regional hurricane model known as HWRF, increasing resolution over the storm environment. We transition the HWRF model into operations in joint partnership with NOAA s Environmental Modeling Center.Impact: Improved Forecast Accuracy Better Informs Coastal CommunitiesThe HWRF model has improved intensity forecasts by 10- 5 kts in the critical decision making period of 48-72 hours before landfall. This allows people to make informed decisions to prepare their families, homes, and communities.Why Don t Nuclear Weapons Destroy Hurricanes?Radioactive fallout from such an operation would far outweigh the benefits and may not alter the storm.  Additionally, the amount of energy that a storm produces far outweighs the energy produced by one nuclear weapon.How Much Energy is Released from a Hurricane?The energy released from a hurricane can be explained in two ways: the total amount of energy released by the condensation of water droplets (latent heat), or the amount of kinetic energy generated to maintain the strong, swirling winds of a hurricane. The vast majority of the latent heat released is used to drive the convection of a storm, but the total energy released from condensation is 200 times the world-wide electrical generating capacity, or 6.0 x 1014 watts per day. If you measure the total kinetic energy instead, it comes out to about 1.5 x 1012 watts per day, or ½ of the world-wide electrical generating capacity. It would seem that although wind energy seems the most obvious energetic process, it is actually the latent release of heat that feeds a hurricane’s momentum.What Causes Tropical Cyclones?In addition to hurricane-favorable conditions such as temperature and humidity, many repeating atmospheric phenomenon contribute to causing and intensifying tropical cyclones. For example, African Easterly Waves are winds in the lower troposphere (ocean surface to 3 miles above) that travel from Africa at speeds of about 3mph westward as a result of the African Easterly Jet. These winds are seen from April until November. About 85% of intense hurricanes and about 60% of smaller storms have their origin in African Easterly waves.The Saharan Air Layer is another significant seeding phenomenon for tropical storms.  It is a mass of dry, mineral-rich, dusty air that forms over the Sahara from late spring to early fall and moves over the tropical North Atlantic every 3-5 days at speeds of 22-55mph (10-25 meters per second). The air mass is 1-2 miles deep, exists in the lower troposphere, and can be as wide as the continental US. These air masses have significant moderating impacts on tropical cyclone intensity and formation because the dry, intense air can both deprive the storm of moisture and interfere with its convection by increasing the wind shear.Many tropical cyclones form due to these larger scale atmospheric factors. Hurricanes that form fairly close in our basin are called Cape Verde hurricanes, named for the location where they are formed. Cape Verde origin hurricanes can be up to five per year, with an average of around two.Why are Tropical Cyclones Always Worse on the Right Side?If a hurricane is moving to the west, the right side would be to the north of the storm, if it is heading north, then the right side would be to the east of the storm. The movement of a hurricane can be broken into two parts- the spiral movement and its forward movement. If the hurricane is moving forward, the side of the spiral with winds parallel and facing forward in the direction of movement will go faster, because you are adding two velocities together. The side of the spiral parallel to the movement, but going in the opposite direction will be slower, because you must subtract the velocity moving away (backwards) from the forward velocity.For example, a hurricane with 90mph winds moving at 10mph would have a 100mph wind speed on the right (forward-moving) side and 80 mph on the side with the backward motion.How are Hurricanes Named?During the 19th century, hurricane names were inspired by everything from saints to wives to unpopular politicians. In 1978, it was agreed that the National Hurricane Center would use alternating men and women’s names following the practice adopted by Australia’s bureau of Meteorology three years earlier in 1975.Today, a list of potential names is published by the United Nations World Meteorological Organization for the Atlantic basin. These names extend into 2023, and the list repeats every seventh year. If a particularly damaging storm occurs, the name of that storm is retired. Storms retired in 2017 include Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Nate. If there are more storms than names on the list in a given season, the National Hurricane Center will name them using the Greek alphabet. Lastly, if a storm happens to move across basins, it keeps the original name. The only time it is renamed if it dissipates to a tropical disturbance and reforms.Visit the FAQeDNA for Protected Marine TurtlesMeeting Monitoring Requirements with Efficiency and Minimal ImpactTraditional monitoring methods for protected species are high-impact, laborious and expensive. By utilizing eDNA technology, low-impact spatial mapping may be possible.Check out the web story published on NOAA Research. eDNA for Protected Marine TurtlesMeeting Monitoring Requirements with Efficiency and Minimal ImpactA population of ~60 ‘black’ green turtles (Chelonia mydas agassizii) were listed as an endangered species and have been monitored since the 1970 s under the Endangered Species Act at the South San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Regular and continued monitoring of this population size is needed to support the National Marine Fisheries Service recovery plan for U.S. Pacific green turtle populations under shifting habitat use. Traditional monitoring methods are high-impact, laborious and expensive. By utilizing eDNA technology, low-impact spatial mapping may be possible.Check out the web story published on NOAA Research.  The Omics program at AOML works to promote coral resilience, develop and transfer emerging technologies, advance Omics for fisheries and microbiome applications, and foster the bioinformatics and infrastructure capabilities upon which all Omics research and operations rely. This work allows us to expand our reach beyond South Florida to engage coral, fisheries, and microbiome experts across the agency and through international engagement. Research to Improve Hurricane Intensity ForecastsImprovements in hurricane intensity forecasts for the Atlantic have lagged in comparison to hurricane track forecasts. Rapid hurricane intensification is often observed when tropical cyclones move over warm ocean features, given appropriate atmospheric conditions. AOML plays a key role in collecting and maintaining sustained ocean observations that monitor the thermal structure of these warm ocean features using drifters, Argo floats, XBTs, moorings, etc. Since 2014, sustained and targeted ocean observations have been gathered in support of hurricane intensity forecasts using underwater gliders.

TAGS:Oceanographic Atlantic NOAAs 

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