Coordinated NOAA and NASA aircraft observations during HAL 2001/ CAMEX4 in Hurricane Humberto from GPS dropsondes, AXBTs, stepped frequency microwave radiometers (SFMRs) and a scanning radar altimeter (SRA) are used to characterize the atmospheric boundary layer, air-sea interface and oceanic mixed layer structure as the storm passed through an oceanic eddy field and approached the Gulf Stream axis. Air-sea interaction processes are thought to play a significant role in the evolving storm structure over the two days of aircraft observations from an asymmetric system with major mid-latitude environmental interactions to a more symmetric system. Subsequent to the observation period, the symmetric system developed an eye at nearly 40 N as it moved eastward along the Gulf Stream main axis.

These observations illustrate the impact of bulk air-sea and boundary layer observations that will accompany new observations of high-wind, air-sea fluxes together with sea spray, surface wave and oceanic mixing processes for the hurricane component of the ONR Coordinated Boundary Layer Air-Sea Transfer (CBLAST) experiment during the period 2002-04. The purpose of this experiment is to obtain an improved characterization of high-wind air-sea transfer processes. A summary of future plans will be presented.