Description
Turbulence plays a crucial role in hurricane boundary layer (HBL) dynamics as it regulates the transfer of momentum, moisture, and heat that ultimately affects the evolution of winds in the eyewall and intensifies the storm system, causing significant wind damage to infrastructure. Research on the role of organized turbulent structures in the HBL remains insufficient due to the lack of high-resolution observations needed to capture turbulence and the dynamic nature of the hurricane’s lowest levels. This research project aims to quantify and understand coherent turbulent structures in the HBL by comparing legacy, coarse resolution NOAA Tail Doppler Radar (TDR) data (sampling of 1500 m) with the novel, high resolution Imaging Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler (IWRAP) data (sampling of 125 m) for Hurricane Teddy (2020) in its mature stage. Additionally, the project aims to provide valuable research results on extreme winds in the HBL to operational disciplines across sectors.
This presentation will highlight comparisons of the velocity components calculated from each aircraft radar to characterize defined regions of coherent turbulent structures identified in the IWRAP data, and their connection to the larger-scale structure observed by the TDR. Supplemental comparisons between the radars’ plotted velocity components will be visually shown to highlight their respective strengths and limitations. Once the comparisons are made and examined, statistics will be presented and analyzed to assess their value for operational and scientific contexts in past and future hurricane seasons. These statistics will include maximum wind speed differences, location of the maximum winds, and inflow depth, among other computations.