[MarignyBywater] 5 things about hurricanes

[DBF3RD at aol.com]

July 1, 2009 
JPL scientist Bjorn Lambrigtsen goes on hurricane watch every June. He is  
part of a large effort to track hurricanes and understand what powers them.  
Lambrigtsen specializes in the field of microwave instruments, which fly 
aboard  research planes and spacecraft, penetrating through thick clouds to 
see the  heart of a hurricane. While scientists are adept at predicting where 
these  powerful storms will hit land, there are crucial aspects they still 
need to  wrench from these potentially killer storms.

Here are thoughts and  factoids from Lambrigtsen in the field of hurricane 
research.

1.  Pinpointing the moment of birth
Most Atlantic hurricanes start as a  collection of thunderstorms off the 
coast of Africa. These storm clusters move  across the Atlantic, ending up in 
the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico or Central  America. While only one in 10 of 
these clusters evolve into hurricanes,  scientists do not yet know what 
triggers this powerful transformation.  Pinpointing a hurricane's origin will be 
a major goal of a joint field campaign  in 2010 between NASA and the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration  (NOAA).

2. Predicting intensity
Another focus of next year's research  campaign will be learning how to 
better predict a storm's intensity. It is  difficult for emergency personnel 
and the public to gauge storm preparations  when they don't know if the storm 
will be mild or one with tremendous force.  NASA's uncrewed Global Hawk will 
be added to the 2010 research armada. This  drone airplane, which can fly 
for 30 straight hours, will provide an  unprecedented long-duration view of 
hurricanes in action, giving a window into  what fuels storm intensity.

3. Deadly force raining down
Think about a  hurricane. You imagine high, gusting winds and pounding 
waves. However, one of  the deadliest hurricanes in recent history was one that 
parked itself over  Central America in October 1998 and dumped torrential 
rain. Even with diminished  winds, rain from Hurricane Mitch reached a rate of 
more than 4 inches per hour.  This caused catastrophic floods and 
landslides throughout the region.

4.  Replenishing "spring"
Even though hurricanes can wreak havoc, they also carry  out the important 
task of replenishing the freshwater supply along the Florida  and 
southeastern U.S. coast and Gulf of Mexico. The freshwater deposited is good  for the 
fish and the ecological environment.

One size doesn't fit  all
Hurricanes come in a huge a variety of sizes. Massive ones can cover the  
entire Gulf of Mexico (about 1,000 miles across), while others are just as  
deadly at only 100 miles across. This is a mystery scientists are still 
trying  to unravel.

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