Observations and the Evolution of Tropical Cyclone Vortex Dynamics

Observations taken in the hurricanes over the last 40 years provided a unique perspective of their inner-core structure – from the presence of double eyewalls, to tilt of the vortex with height, to extreme vorticity gradients within the eyewall resulting in vortex breakdown and eye-eyewall mixing. Each of these observational discoveries stimulated the evolution of the theory governing the dynamics of these vortices, and Prof. Schubert, his colleagues, and students used theory and models to understand how these processes dictate the evolution of these storms. A number of the key observational discoveries that drove this evolution will be described and their subsequent impact on our modern view of hurricane dynamics will be discussed.