Abstract: Observations of Upper-Ocean Thermal Structure in the Tropical Atlantic Ocean during Hurricane Danny and Tropical Storm Erika (2015) (2016 Ocean Sciences Meeting)

Observations of Upper-Ocean Thermal Structure in the Tropical Atlantic Ocean during Hurricane Danny and Tropical Storm Erika (2015)

Sean Ridinger¹, Julie Ann Jesse¹, Elizabeth Sanabia², Steven R Jayne³ and William Albert Swick⁴, (1)US Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, United States, (2)US Naval Academy, Department of Oceanography, Annapolis, MD, United States, (3)Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Physical Oceanography, Woods Hole, MA, United States, (4)United States Naval Academy, Oceanography, Annapolis, MD, United States

Abstract:

In August 2015, Hurricane Danny and Tropical Storm Erika formed in close proximity within the Main Development Region over the tropical Atlantic Ocean. The westward tropical cyclone tracks remained within 1.5° latitude for more than 1500 km before reaching the Lesser Antilles. The upper-ocean thermal structure beneath these two tropical systems is investigated using AXBT, ALAMO, and Argo float observations, and changes over time are analyzed. The 59 AXBT and 12 ALAMO floats deployed from USAFR WC-130J aircraft as part of the USNA TROPIC program and AXBT Demonstration Project, along with the Argo floats, provide insight into temporal and spatial scales of the impact of wind-stress on the upper ocean. Several observations are highlighted and observed changes in the mixed layer are compared to theoretical results obtained using the Price-Weller-Pinkel ocean mixed layer model.

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