An Introduction to the NASA East Pacific Origins and Characteristics of Hurricanes (EPOCH) Field Campaign

Over the past five years, tropical activity in the East Pacific has increased, while decreasing in the Atlantic Basin. In addition, during El Niño years, warmer than average sea surface temperatures further increase the likelihood of tropical cyclone formation in the East Pacific. Hurricane field campaigns used the Ku-/Ka-band High-Altitude Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler (HIWRAP) radar on the Global Hawk (GH) unmanned aircraft, in GRIP (Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes 2010), HS3 (Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel 2012-2014), and the 2015 NOAA Sensing Hazards with Operational Unmanned Technology (SHOUT) field campaigns. Although originally designed for the GH, the X-band high-altitude RADar (EXRAD) has yet to be integrated and flown on an unmanned aerial vehicle. EXRAD will provide data with less attenuation of signal over deep convection as well as better estimates of three-dimensional winds with its nadir-pointing beam. As part of the NASA HOPE Training Opportunity, our team proposed to fly the AV-6 GH aircraft with the EXRAD radar, the High Altitude MMIC Sounding Radiometer (HAMSR), and the NOAA AVAPS dropsonde system to investigate genesis and rapid intensification of an East Pacific hurricane by measuring both the environment and interior structures. Information on planned activities primarily focused on the EXRAD high-altitude radar integration, as well as opportunities for collaboration on science flights planned for the July/August 2017 timeframe will be presented.