Abstract
Boundary-layer secondary circulations or 'roll vortices' can have a significant influence on the turbulent exchange of momentum, sensible heat and moisture throughout the hurricane boundary layer. In this study, analyses of data from a WP-3D aircraft of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are presented. As part of the Coupled Boundary Layer Air-Sea Transfer (CBLAST)-hurricane experiment sponsored through the Office of Naval Research and NOAA's annual hurricane research program, flights were conducted to investigate energy exchange across the air-sea interface. We present the first in-situ aircraft-based observations of rolls in the hurricane boundary layer and investigate their influence on energy and momentum exchange. The rolls detected in Hurricane Isidore (year 2002) have a characteristic wavelength of about 900 m, in good agreement with analyses of data from a synthetic aperture radar image captured by the Canadian Space Agency's RADARSAT satellite in the same storm. Our analyses of the airborne data suggest that roll vortices may be a significant factor modulating the air-sea momentum exchange.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 173-189 |
| Number of pages | 17 |
| Journal | Boundary-Layer Meteorology |
| Volume | 128 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 2008 |
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Keywords
- Air-sea interaction
- Hurricane boundary layer
- Roll vortices
- Turbulent fluxes
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Atmospheric Science
Cite this
Effects of roll vortices on turbulent fluxes in the hurricane boundary layer. / Zhang, Jun A.; Katsaros, Kristina B.; Black, Peter G.; Lehner, Susanne; French, Jeffrey R.; Drennan, William M.
In: Boundary-Layer Meteorology, Vol. 128, No. 2, 08.2008, p. 173-189.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of roll vortices on turbulent fluxes in the hurricane boundary layer
AU - Zhang, Jun A.
AU - Katsaros, Kristina B.
AU - Black, Peter G.
AU - Lehner, Susanne
AU - French, Jeffrey R.
AU - Drennan, William M
PY - 2008/8
Y1 - 2008/8
N2 - Boundary-layer secondary circulations or 'roll vortices' can have a significant influence on the turbulent exchange of momentum, sensible heat and moisture throughout the hurricane boundary layer. In this study, analyses of data from a WP-3D aircraft of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are presented. As part of the Coupled Boundary Layer Air-Sea Transfer (CBLAST)-hurricane experiment sponsored through the Office of Naval Research and NOAA's annual hurricane research program, flights were conducted to investigate energy exchange across the air-sea interface. We present the first in-situ aircraft-based observations of rolls in the hurricane boundary layer and investigate their influence on energy and momentum exchange. The rolls detected in Hurricane Isidore (year 2002) have a characteristic wavelength of about 900 m, in good agreement with analyses of data from a synthetic aperture radar image captured by the Canadian Space Agency's RADARSAT satellite in the same storm. Our analyses of the airborne data suggest that roll vortices may be a significant factor modulating the air-sea momentum exchange.
AB - Boundary-layer secondary circulations or 'roll vortices' can have a significant influence on the turbulent exchange of momentum, sensible heat and moisture throughout the hurricane boundary layer. In this study, analyses of data from a WP-3D aircraft of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are presented. As part of the Coupled Boundary Layer Air-Sea Transfer (CBLAST)-hurricane experiment sponsored through the Office of Naval Research and NOAA's annual hurricane research program, flights were conducted to investigate energy exchange across the air-sea interface. We present the first in-situ aircraft-based observations of rolls in the hurricane boundary layer and investigate their influence on energy and momentum exchange. The rolls detected in Hurricane Isidore (year 2002) have a characteristic wavelength of about 900 m, in good agreement with analyses of data from a synthetic aperture radar image captured by the Canadian Space Agency's RADARSAT satellite in the same storm. Our analyses of the airborne data suggest that roll vortices may be a significant factor modulating the air-sea momentum exchange.
KW - Air-sea interaction
KW - Hurricane boundary layer
KW - Roll vortices
KW - Turbulent fluxes
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=47649090048&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=47649090048&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10546-008-9281-2
DO - 10.1007/s10546-008-9281-2
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:47649090048
VL - 128
SP - 173
EP - 189
JO - Boundary-Layer Meteorology
JF - Boundary-Layer Meteorology
SN - 0006-8314
IS - 2
ER -