Rainband and Intensity Change Experiment

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Rainband and Intensity Change Experiment
RAINEX An Observational and Modeling Study of
Hurricane Rainbands and Intensity
Changes (Collaboration between NSF NOAA, NSF
3M) NSF PIs Shuyi S. Chen and Robert A. Houze,
Jr.
model
Doppler radar
dropsondes
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Approach

• Use a/c Doppler radar to observe both eyewall and
  rainband internal vorticity structures
  simultaneously
• Use intensive dropsondes for thermodynamic
  environment of mesoscale rainbands and eyewall to
  support both analysis and modeling Seek match
  between model and aircraft- observed structures
  at an instant of time, in both eyewall and
  rainband
• Use model to determine how the vorticity features
  evolve and storm intensity changes

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RAINEX Meeting Objectives

• Foundation for project operations plan, to be
  written after meeting
• Critical operations issues
• Flight track plan, incorporating both Doppler
  dropsondes
• Communications links, including radar data
• Science operations center, for near real time
  synthesis of a/c data, model output, other info
• Contingency plans, if weather doesnt cooperate
• Other
• Data management archive
• Timeline leading up to hurricane season
• Meeting reportdue next week!!

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Four characteristic tropical cyclone
rainband/eyewall structures
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RAINEX A/C Plan
Suggested tracks of GIV,C130
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3 a/cmission NRL-black Piggy-white Kermit-blue GI
V/C130-red
100 km
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2 a/cmission Piggy-white Kermit-blue GIV/C130-red
100 km
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2 a/cmission NRL-black Kermit-blue GIV/C130-red
100 km
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Simplified RAINEX Data Flow
C130/GIV
Kermit
NRL/P3
Piggy
air
ground
RSMAS
ATD
HRD
NHC
JOSS
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P3 Airborne Mission Scientists
Lee (NRL) Smull (NOAA or NRL) Jorgensen (NOAA
or NRL) Chen (NOAA or NRL) Rogers (NOAA) M.
Black (NOAA) Gamache (NOAA) Dodge (NOAA) Zipser
(NOAA) volunteer
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Some Issues identified yesterday
Dropsondes from high altitude Environment
Eyewall Principal rainband Protocol for
requesting dropsondes RAINEX-HRD-NHC-EMC-CARCA
H Communications coordination 43 needs to
be lead P3 Need to transmit LF every 10 to
15 mins, content? People who will do this
development Operations Dropsonde chute
on NRL P3 (pressurization)
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RAINEX A/C Plan
Suggested tracks of GIV,C130
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Specific Questions Regarding Dropsonde Flight
Tracks

1. RAINEX critically needs PV budget information Þ
   need dropsondes launched from the GIV and/or C130
   flying at 30,000 feet. Best if in eyewall region
   and principal band region. To what extent can
   this be done?
2. Can RAINEX desired tracks be done within the
   constraints of NOAA operational surveillance
   flights and HRD research flights?
3. Can GIV dropsonde flight tracks be reprogrammed
   while a/c are in the air?
4. What is the exact protocol for RAINEX to request
   special dropsonde flight patterns?

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RAINEX TIMELINE
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• Science Objectives
• Use a/c to examine the dynamic and thermodynamic
  structures of hurricane outer rainband regions
  where the positive potential vorticity associated
  with deep convective cores are located
• Use model to investigate the interactions of the
  rainbands and primary hurricane vortex
  circulation and their role in hurricane intensity
  change.

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Working hypothesis, based on recent research
In the convective rainband region outside of the
hurricane inner core, convectively induced
potential vorticity may be axisymmetrized by
high wave number Rossby waves.
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Specific questions

• How do PV maxima associated with rainbands
  organize (axisymmetrize) into the primary
  eyewall?
• How do PV maxima associated with rainbands
  outside the primary eyewall interact with the
  eyewall?
• How do PV maxima associated with rainbands
  outside the primary eyewall axisymmetrize into a
  secondary eyewall
• How do the secondary and primary eyewall interact
  with each other