Impacts of the presence of dry air upon Hurricane Nadine (2012)

This study will use high-altitude airborne observations from the Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel Experiment (HS3), in conjunction with satellite observations, to document the ability of sources of dry air such as the Saharan Air Layer (SAL) and upper-level subsidence to enter and impact the development of Hurricane Nadine (2012). Preliminary results indicate that during the first four days of being a tropical cyclone, Hurricane Nadine interacted with a distinctly SAL air mass, with this dry dusty air wrapping around the storm's eastern and northern sides. Data from dropsondes and the Scanning High-resolution Interferometer Sounder (S-HIS) aboard the NASA Global Hawk will be combined with satellite observations from MODIS and AIRS instruments aboard the Aqua and Terra platforms to characterize this and other air masses surrounding Hurricane Nadine, and how these air masses are modified as they enter the inner core of the storm. This study thus aims to determine if, when, and how much these air masses penetrate the storm, and evaluate the storm's corresponding changes in intensity and structure.