Observed structure, evolution, and potential intensity of category 5 Hurricane Isabel (2003) from 12 to 14 September
Unprecedented observations of Hurricane Isabel (2003) at category 5 intensity were collected from 12 to 14 September. This study presents a detailed analysis of the inner-core structure, atmospheric boundary layer, sea surface temperature, and outflow layer of a superintense tropical cyclone using h...
Published in: | Monthly Weather Review |
---|---|
Other Authors: | , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
American Meteorological Society
2008
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://nldr.library.ucar.edu/repository/collections/OSGC-000-000-003-102 https://doi.org/10.1175/2007MWR1858.1 |
id |
ftncar:oai:drupal-site.org:articles_6532 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftncar:oai:drupal-site.org:articles_6532 2023-07-30T04:05:35+02:00 Observed structure, evolution, and potential intensity of category 5 Hurricane Isabel (2003) from 12 to 14 September Bell, Michael (author) Montgomery, Michael (author) 2008-06-01 application/pdf http://nldr.library.ucar.edu/repository/collections/OSGC-000-000-003-102 https://doi.org/10.1175/2007MWR1858.1 en eng American Meteorological Society Monthly Weather Review http://nldr.library.ucar.edu/repository/collections/OSGC-000-000-003-102 doi:10.1175/2007MWR1858.1 ark:/85065/d7db8222 Copyright 2008 American Meteorological Society (AMS). Permission to use figures, tables, and brief excerpts from this work in scientific and educational works is hereby granted provided that the source is acknowledged. Any use of material in this work that is determined to be "fair use" under Section 107 or that satisfies the conditions specified in Section 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law (17 USC, as revised by P.L. 94-553) does not require the Society's permission. Republication, systematic reproduction, posting in electronic form on servers, or other uses of this material, except as exempted by the above statements, requires written permission or license from the AMS. Additional details are provided in the AMS Copyright Policies, available from the AMS at 617-227-2425 or amspubs@ametsoc.org. Permission to place a copy of this work on this server has been provided by the AMS. The AMS does not guarantee that the copy provided here is an accurate copy of the published work. North Atlantic Ocean Observational data Text article 2008 ftncar https://doi.org/10.1175/2007MWR1858.1 2023-07-17T18:37:47Z Unprecedented observations of Hurricane Isabel (2003) at category 5 intensity were collected from 12 to 14 September. This study presents a detailed analysis of the inner-core structure, atmospheric boundary layer, sea surface temperature, and outflow layer of a superintense tropical cyclone using high-resolution in situ flight-level, NCAR GPS dropwindsonde, Doppler radar, and satellite measurements. The analysis of the dropwindsonde and in situ data includes a comprehensive discussion of the uncertainties associated with this observational dataset and provides an estimate of the storm-relative axisymmetric inner-core structure using Barnes objective analysis. An assessment of gradient and thermal wind balance in the inner core is also presented. The axisymmetric data composites presented in this study suggest that Isabel built a reservoir of high moist entropy air by sea-to-air latent heat flux inside the low-level eye that was utilized as an additional energy source to nearly maintain its extreme intensity even after crossing the cool wake of Hurricane Fabian. It is argued here that the combined mean and asymmetric eddy flux of high moist entropy air from the low-level eye into the eyewall represents an additional power source or ?turbo boost? to the hurricane heat engine. Recent estimates of the ratio of sea-to-air enthalpy and momentum exchange at high wind speeds are used to suggest that Isabel utilized this extra power to exceed the previously assumed intensity upper bound for the given environmental conditions on all three days. This discrepancy between a priori potential intensity theory and observations may be as high as 35 m s?? on 13 September. Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic OpenSky (NCAR/UCAR - National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research) Monthly Weather Review 136 6 2023 2046 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
OpenSky (NCAR/UCAR - National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research) |
op_collection_id |
ftncar |
language |
English |
topic |
North Atlantic Ocean Observational data |
spellingShingle |
North Atlantic Ocean Observational data Observed structure, evolution, and potential intensity of category 5 Hurricane Isabel (2003) from 12 to 14 September |
topic_facet |
North Atlantic Ocean Observational data |
description |
Unprecedented observations of Hurricane Isabel (2003) at category 5 intensity were collected from 12 to 14 September. This study presents a detailed analysis of the inner-core structure, atmospheric boundary layer, sea surface temperature, and outflow layer of a superintense tropical cyclone using high-resolution in situ flight-level, NCAR GPS dropwindsonde, Doppler radar, and satellite measurements. The analysis of the dropwindsonde and in situ data includes a comprehensive discussion of the uncertainties associated with this observational dataset and provides an estimate of the storm-relative axisymmetric inner-core structure using Barnes objective analysis. An assessment of gradient and thermal wind balance in the inner core is also presented. The axisymmetric data composites presented in this study suggest that Isabel built a reservoir of high moist entropy air by sea-to-air latent heat flux inside the low-level eye that was utilized as an additional energy source to nearly maintain its extreme intensity even after crossing the cool wake of Hurricane Fabian. It is argued here that the combined mean and asymmetric eddy flux of high moist entropy air from the low-level eye into the eyewall represents an additional power source or ?turbo boost? to the hurricane heat engine. Recent estimates of the ratio of sea-to-air enthalpy and momentum exchange at high wind speeds are used to suggest that Isabel utilized this extra power to exceed the previously assumed intensity upper bound for the given environmental conditions on all three days. This discrepancy between a priori potential intensity theory and observations may be as high as 35 m s?? on 13 September. |
author2 |
Bell, Michael (author) Montgomery, Michael (author) |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
title |
Observed structure, evolution, and potential intensity of category 5 Hurricane Isabel (2003) from 12 to 14 September |
title_short |
Observed structure, evolution, and potential intensity of category 5 Hurricane Isabel (2003) from 12 to 14 September |
title_full |
Observed structure, evolution, and potential intensity of category 5 Hurricane Isabel (2003) from 12 to 14 September |
title_fullStr |
Observed structure, evolution, and potential intensity of category 5 Hurricane Isabel (2003) from 12 to 14 September |
title_full_unstemmed |
Observed structure, evolution, and potential intensity of category 5 Hurricane Isabel (2003) from 12 to 14 September |
title_sort |
observed structure, evolution, and potential intensity of category 5 hurricane isabel (2003) from 12 to 14 september |
publisher |
American Meteorological Society |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
http://nldr.library.ucar.edu/repository/collections/OSGC-000-000-003-102 https://doi.org/10.1175/2007MWR1858.1 |
genre |
North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic |
op_relation |
Monthly Weather Review http://nldr.library.ucar.edu/repository/collections/OSGC-000-000-003-102 doi:10.1175/2007MWR1858.1 ark:/85065/d7db8222 |
op_rights |
Copyright 2008 American Meteorological Society (AMS). Permission to use figures, tables, and brief excerpts from this work in scientific and educational works is hereby granted provided that the source is acknowledged. Any use of material in this work that is determined to be "fair use" under Section 107 or that satisfies the conditions specified in Section 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law (17 USC, as revised by P.L. 94-553) does not require the Society's permission. Republication, systematic reproduction, posting in electronic form on servers, or other uses of this material, except as exempted by the above statements, requires written permission or license from the AMS. Additional details are provided in the AMS Copyright Policies, available from the AMS at 617-227-2425 or amspubs@ametsoc.org. Permission to place a copy of this work on this server has been provided by the AMS. The AMS does not guarantee that the copy provided here is an accurate copy of the published work. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1175/2007MWR1858.1 |
container_title |
Monthly Weather Review |
container_volume |
136 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
2023 |
op_container_end_page |
2046 |
_version_ |
1772817592028758016 |