Inflow trajectories in a model hurricane

In preparation for field deployment of NOAA/UH Smart Balloons into a hurricane inflow layer, output from past GFDL hurricane model runs are utilized to identify strategic launch sites and times that provide the most favorable trajectories to satisfy the observational objectives. The Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectories (HY-SPLIT) model will be used to track the motion of air parcels (Draxler 1981; 1988), using hourly winds from the GFDL model as input. GFDL model output are also used to investigate changes in the inflow energetics of the model hurricane and as a prelude to comparisons with in situ observations from balloon, dropwinsonde, and research aircraft. Results from the model output analysis will be presented with a discussion of implications for field experiment strategy.