An Analysis of African Easterly Wave Structure from Airborne Tropical Atlantic Soundings During ORCESTRA

African Easterly Waves (AEWs) were analyzed using observations from the ORCESTRA campaign in which 24 research flights were performed across the Tropical Atlantic over an eight-week period from early August through late September 2024. The campaign is notable for its extensive use of dropsondes with 10-15 dropsondes released from a height of 14.5 km during each of 3-6 one-hour circles on flights over the Eastern (25W - 43W) and Western (42W - 60W) Atlantic Ocean. The release of approximately 1000 dropsondes, distributed in circular patterns, not only provide observations of the mean atmospheric structure around the circle, but also provide a basis for estimating spatial gradients across the circle. This supported estimating vorticity, divergence and vertical velocity during a period of active AEWs. The AEWs are identified using a combination of 700 hPa vorticity maxima and official NHC surface analyses. Dropsonde data for each flight-circle were analyzed relative to the AEW axis to provide a comprehensive 'wave-relative' spatial and vertical composite of the waves. The dropsonde analysis was compared to the longitudinal and latitudinal structures of the AEWs as represented in the ERA5 dataset for the same period, allowing for an assessment of the ERA5's representation of the structure and dynamics of AEWs.