Guidance for Rapid Changes in Hurricane Intensity from Inner Core Data Sets and Multiple Diagnostic Approaches

In this study we utilize the inner core data sets for hurricanes from a variety of data sources including the HWINDS of Hurricane Research Division. The HWINDS provides useful and detailed information on the geographical distribution of the wind field and also provides an improved assessment of the hurricane intensity since it includes aircraft reconnaissance based flight level and dropwindsonde data sets. The hurricanes from 2003 included in this data set are investigated in the context of rapid changes in the hurricane intensity using a number of diagnostic approaches.

The multiple diagnostic approaches being used at FSU include the following : (i) Interactions among rotational and divergent wind components in the core of hurricanes (ii) Role of diabatic potential vorticity in the inner core of hurricanes (iii) Advection of earths angular momentum in storm relative coordinates (iv) Scale interactions among the cloud and hurricane scales, and (v) Organization of convection in the azimuthal direction.

The results from these diagnostic tools will be presented.