Observing Hurricane Intensity Change using Profiling Glider Technology

The National Data Buoy Center (NDBC), supported by the University of Southern Mississippi, operates an ocean profiling glider owned by Shell Oil Company in the Gulf of Mexico from the NDBC Mission Control Center (MCC) at Stennis Space Center, Mississippi. The system, initially deployed during the summer of 2012, and redeployed for 2013, is providing observations to the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) to help provide better estimates of Ocean Heat Content for Hurricane intensity forecasts when coupled with other traditional ocean observations. Additionally, observations are used to validate satellite derived Ocean Heat Content in the Gulf of Mexico.

The high density Temperature and Salinity profiles are quality controlled and distributed continuously from the MCC in real-time using the Global Telecommunication System (GTS), and on NDBCs website. These quality controlled profiles are being assimilated by the Environmental Modeling Center (EMC) couple Ocean-Atmosphere hurricane model HYCOM-HWRF to better model the oceans response on hurricane intensity.

Results from the 2012 hurricane season, including the ocean mixing and water cooling due to Hurricane Isaac (09L) will be shown. Additionally, challenges of piloting profiling gliders and sampling strategies for hurricanes will be examined.