Eight Drifting Buoys Deployed in Front of Hurricane Teddy - Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing

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Eight Drifting Buoys Deployed in Front of Hurricane Teddy
Jessica Mkitarian
October 1, 2020
Extreme Events
,
Monitoring Platforms
,
News
Eight Drifting Buoys Deployed in Front of Hurricane Teddy
On Saturday, September 19, 2020 eight drifting buoys were deployed in front of
Hurricane Teddy
. The photo to the left shows loading of eight hurricane drifters onto the US Air Force C-130 Cargo airplane for deployments. A variety of drifter types were deployed and will measure sea surface temperature (SST), wave spectra, sea level pressure (SLP) and upper ocean heat content, with the ultimate goal of improving hurricane intensity forecasts. This field deployment was swiftly made possible due to the coordinated efforts of the
Global Drifter Program
(GOMO, AOML, and
Scripps LDL
) and the 53rd Squadron Hurricane Hunters.
This deployment and research is part of a greater effort among the Global Drifter Program and partners to improve hurricane intensity forecasting with in situ ocean observations (Extreme Events-Ocean Observations Task Team). In the map diagram below, you can see the expected position of each drifter. Each dot is a pair of drifters: magenta is Minimet drifter (SVPB + wind speed, direction) paired with a directional wave spectrum drifter (DWSD), while white is an ADOS drifter (thermistor chain to 150m replacing Minimet’s 15m drogue) and a DWSD. Background shading is absolute dynamic topography; forecast location of the storm center at drop time is “+”, and the image also shows the forecast location at +12h, +24h (obscured by buoy drop locations) and +36h.
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Meet the Early Career Ocean Scientists Working to Improve Hurricane Forecasts - Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing

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Meet the Early Career Ocean Scientists Working to Improve Hurricane Forecasts
Jessica Mkitarian
September 29, 2023
Extreme Events
,
News
,
Outreach
,
People
,
People of GOMO
The Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing Program (GOMO) received funding through the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act to support a focused ocean-atmosphere observing experiment during the 2023 hurricane season. This research experiment, called the Coordinated Hurricane Atmosphere-Ocean Sampling (CHAOS) is an integrated field campaign led by GOMO’s new
Extreme Events Program
and conducted as part of NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory’s long standing
Hurricane Field Program
. The goal of CHAOS is to improve our understanding of the role of the ocean, waves, and air-sea interactions in the development and intensification of hurricanes in order to produce more accurate and reliable models and forecasts.
To support the development of early career scientists and researchers,
GOMO prioritized funding projects co-led by early career scientists, investigators and collaborators.
Early career ocean professionals are defined as people who are current graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, or within 10 years since the completion of their highest graduate degree. Read more about the early career researchers involved in this collaborative effort below!
Johna Rudzin, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor,
Mississippi State University
Project:
Targeted Aircraft-Based Measurements of the Air-Sea Transition Zone for Understanding Tropical Cyclone Intensity Change
Lead Principal Investigator:
Jun Zhang
Co-investigators & Collaborators:
Joseph Cione, Joshua Wadler,
Johna Rudzin
, Nick Shay
My role in the CHAOS project involves assisting with the acquisition of ElectroMagnetic Autonomous Profiling EXplorer (
EM-APEX
) oceanic profiling floats, planning their deployment, and conducting data analysis to estimate ocean turbulence and momentum flux during tropical cyclones. These floats measure temperature, salinity, and currents. I’m excited about getting to participate in a collaborative field program that will hopefully retrieve collocated measurements in the atmosphere, ocean, and wave fields during a tropical cyclone. If successful, I feel this will greatly expand our understanding of air-sea interaction in tropical cyclones because of the diverse observational assets.
Photo Credit: Beth Wynn, Mississippi State University
Joshua Wadler, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Meteorology,
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University
Project:
Targeted Aircraft-Based Measurements of the Air-Sea Transition Zone for Understanding Tropical Cyclone Intensity Change
Lead Principal Investigator:
Jun Zhang
Co-investigators & Collaborators:
Joseph Cione,
Joshua Wadler
, Johna Rudzin, Nick Shay
I am a researcher in the CHAOS project helping to coordinate air-deployed instruments, such as small uncrewed aerial systems (sUAS) from NOAA’s P-3 (
Hurricane Hunter
) aircraft. I am really excited about bringing together the meteorological and oceanographic communities so that we can sample air-sea interactions and gain insight on the physics behind how the ocean influences hurricanes and how they evolve.
Photo Credit: Laura Chaibongsai
Martha Schönau, Ph.D.
Assistant Project Scientist,
Lagrangian Drifter Laboratory
and
Global Drifter Program
,
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Project:
Concurrent Observations of Directional Properties of Waves, Ocean Temperature and Air Pressure Under Hurricanes from Innovative Expendable Drifting Buoys
Lead Principal Investigator:
Luca Centurioni
Co-investigators & Collaborators:
Martha Sch
ö
nau
, Terri Paluszkiewicz, Joe Sienkiewicz
For the CHAOS project, I am responsible for the planning, deployment and analysis of the observations of our
A-sized Directional Wave Spectra Drifters
to better understand ocean and wave dynamics during hurricanes and other extreme weather events. The CHAOS project allows us to explore the ocean surface and its interaction with the atmosphere, which is important to improve forecasts for extreme weather events and understand their impacts under a changing climate.
Photo Credit: Hannah Vey Schönau
Joe Sapp, Ph.D.
Senior Support Scientist, Global Science and Technology, Inc. supporting the Ocean Winds Science Team at the Center for Satellite Applications and Research (
NOAA NESDIS STAR
)
Project:
Remote Sensing of the Ocean Surface Winds and Waves and 3-D Atmospheric Winds in Hurricanes
Lead Principal Investigator:
Paul Chang
Co-investigators & Collaborators
: Zorana Jelenak,
Joe Sapp
My roles in the CHAOS project are to 1) maintain and operate the
Imaging Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler (IWRAP) radar and Ka-band interferometric radar altimeter (KalA)
systems on the NOAA P-3 Hurricane Hunter, 2) process and analyze the raw IWRAP data, generate 3D atmospheric wind and reflectivity profiles, and 3) ensure the data is getting transmitted to the ground for use by forecasters. I have been working with airborne remote sensing data in tropical cyclones for over ten years. One of the challenges is obtaining collocated, in situ data from ocean observing instruments and linking those to aircraft measurements. CHAOS offers a good opportunity to coordinate with other researchers so that we can put observations in context.
Photo Credit: Joe Sapp
Travis Miles, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor,
Rutgers University, Center for Ocean Observing Leadership
Project:
Glider based observations of upper ocean mixing under hurricanes
Lead Principal Investigator:
Travis Miles
Students & Collaborators
: Leah Hopson, Jessica Leonard, Doug Wilson
I am a project principal investigator focused on studying upper ocean mixing processes underneath hurricanes. I will be using autonomous underwater robots with advanced sensors, as well as numerical modeling tools to study these processes in the Caribbean Sea. We are focusing these advanced sensors in regions where upper ocean temperature and salinity are highly variable and hurricanes are common, such as the Amazon-Orinoco River Plume inflow into the Caribbean Sea. These uncertain ocean properties can lead to uncertainty in hurricane intensity forecasts.  The ability to work with a broad set of partners and technologies all focused on understanding how our oceans and atmosphere interact during hurricanes is incredibly exciting. Building new collaborations and bringing students into the community is truly inspiring!
Photo Credit: Shelley Kusnetz
Leah Hopson, Ph.D.
Student
Ph.D. student being advised by Dr. Travis Miles,
Rutgers University, Center for Ocean Observing Leadership
Project:
Glider based observations of upper ocean mixing under hurricanes
Lead Principal Investigator:
Travis Miles
Students & Collaborators: Leah Hopson
, Jessica Leonard, Doug Wilson
My role in the CHAOS project is focused on understanding the use of ocean observing technologies and numerical modeling to investigate ocean mixing processes underneath hurricane events in the Caribbean. I am excited about this project because there is a possibility for me to utilize the output data from the autonomous underwater robots in my thesis work. In addition, this project will expand my collaborative efforts with other researchers examining air-sea dynamics during extreme weather events!
Photo Credit: Jordan Rosales
Jessica Leonard
Glider Technician,
Rutgers University, Center for Ocean Observing Leadership
Project:
Glider based observations of upper ocean mixing under hurricanes
Lead Principal Investigator:
Travis Miles
Students & Collaborators:
Leah Hopson,
Jessica Leonard
, Doug Wilson
I will be maintaining, repairing, preparing, deploying, and piloting two
Slocum gliders
out of St. Thomas for the CHAOS project. I’m most excited to be able to send out autonomous underwater vehicles that will collect data that will better support hurricane forecasting and modeling. To be involved in work that could provide more accurate evacuation orders and storm information for communities susceptible to tropical storms is what this work is all about.
Photo Credit: Alexandra Fine
Alex Gonzalez, Ph.D.
Assistant Scientist,
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI)
Project:
Profiling float observations for the Extreme Events Ocean Observing Task Team Integrated Field Campaign (CHAOS)
Lead Principal Investigator:
Steve Jayne
Co-investigators & Collaborators:
Pelle Robbins,
Alex Gonzalez
My roles in the CHAOS project include deployment planning of
WHOI’s Argo floats
and analysis of Argo and other observational data with the goal of quantifying the influence of large-scale tropical convection on upper ocean salinity and air-sea fluxes. I am one of few meteorologists at WHOI and I only started one year ago, so I am most excited to learn more about upper ocean processes and form new collaborations. My research at present is focused on subseasonal to seasonal variability of tropical convection and I rely heavily on global
reanalyses
. Thus, I am also excited to incorporate new types of observational data sets into my research.
Photo Credit: Keo Perrion, Iowa State University
Lew Gramer, Ph.D.
Associate Scientist, Cooperative Institute For Marine and Atmospheric Studies supporting
NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory’s Hurricane Research Division
Project:
Observing System Experiments in support of the  Extreme Events Ocean Observing Task Team Integrated Field Campaign (CHAOS)
Lead Principal Investigators:
Hyun-Sook Kim, Matthieu Le Henaff
Co-investigators & Collaborators:
Lew Gramer
, HeeSook Kang
In the CHAOS project, I’m collaborating on designing hurricane field-program air-sea sampling experiments for coastal interaction studies and implementing coupled ocean data assimilation systems (e.g.,
HAFS
–
MOM6
and
RTOFS-DA
) and observing system experiment studies. What excites me is the opportunity to make a real impact on the understanding and forecasting of these horrible, complex weather systems, as well as engaging in collaborative research about the link between the ocean and the tropical atmosphere.
Photo Credit: Lew Gramer
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Meet the Women Advancing NOAA Hurricane Research and Forecasting - Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing

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Meet the Women Advancing NOAA Hurricane Research and Forecasting
Jessica Gwinn
June 12, 2023
Education & Outreach
,
Extreme Events
,
News
,
Outreach
,
People
How seven women across NOAA are leading advances in hurricane technology, observing, and forecasting
Hurricanes, also known as tropical cyclones, are among the most destructive natural disasters. These storms pose major risks to coastal communities and cost
billions of dollars
each year in damages. Impacts are expected to increase with
warming ocean temperatures
,
rising sea levels
,
increasing storm intensity
, and
growing coastal populations
. NOAA and our partners have a long history of leading hurricane research in the United States. Advancing the research helps scientists better track the location, movement, and strength of approaching storms so that we can better determine when and where a hurricane will make landfall and how severe the impacts will be. Accurate forecasts are imperative to help our communities prepare for oncoming storms, ultimately protecting life and property and mitigating the societal and economic impacts in the U.S. and associated territories.
Hurricane science is complex and dynamic, and it takes people working in a variety of roles to successfully observe and forecast storms. Oftentimes, it begins with program coordinators and managers who help to guide hurricane research by providing funding and strategic direction to advance hurricane observing technologies. Researchers use these technologies to better understand how oceanic and atmospheric conditions drive hurricane development, which is used to improve models of hurricane track and intensity. Pilots fly NOAA’s Hurricane Hunter aircrafts into hurricanes to help scientists deploy observing technologies and collect critical data that also feed into these models. This information is then used by the operational community to produce forecasts that warn the public of oncoming storms.
Although women remain a minority across STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields, they make substantial contributions to hurricane sciences. With the start of the
2023 hurricane season
approaching, we are highlighting some of the outstanding women working in hurricane sciences across NOAA’s programs, labs, and partners.
Click the icons below to learn more about seven women from NOAA and its partner institutes and the important contributions they are making to hurricane research and operations.
Renee
Richardson
LCDR Megan
Gaston
Heather
Holbach, Ph.D.
Martha
Schönau, Ph.D.
Cheyenne
Stienbarger
Maria Aristizabal
Vargas, Ph.D.
Lisa
Bucci, Ph.D.
Renee Richardson
Observations Coordinator, NOAA Weather Program Office
Renee Richardson
is a Program Coordinator in NOAA’s
Weather Program Office
(WPO)
Observations Program
. In the WPO Observations Program, Richardson helps to sponsor innovations in
observation technology research and advance the operational readiness of these technologies so they can be used in research and forecasting.
Renee Richardson’s background in meteorology helps her guide hurricane technology research as a program coordinator.
Richardson first became fascinated by hurricanes as a young girl when Hurricane Floyd passed by South Carolina in 1999, leaving her hometown with damage and debris. As she grew older and took up surfing, Richardson looked forward to the good waves that hurricanes brought with them and grew more interested in understanding how hurricanes work.
Richardson is pursuing a Ph.D. in Meteorology at Florida State University, where she studies how sea spray may impact key air-sea interactions that play a role in hurricane intensification. Richardson joined WPO as a
NOAA Sea Grant Knauss Fellow
in 2021. During her
fellowship
, she learned about the program management and decision-making that guide hurricane research. With experience as both a hurricane scientist and program coordinator, Richardson combines both perspectives to provide strategic guidance to the hurricane research community.
WPO fosters advancements in hurricane technology and guides their transition to operations.
Observations are fundamental to studying hurricanes. Advancements in hurricane observing technologies are achieved by research conducted across several
NOAA labs, programs, and CIs. These advancements are necessary to improve our ability to observe hurricanes and collect critical data to better understand and predict these storms.
Drifters
and
Argo floats
, managed by the NOAA
Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing Program
, are ocean observing tools that monitor the ocean year-round collecting data that can be used to better understand the ocean before, during, and after a hurricane. Other observing technologies are strategically deployed during hurricane season to capture key observations. Uncrewed autonomous vehicles, like
gliders
and
Saildrones
, are operated in areas where chances of hurricane occurrence are high. Air-deployed technologies like
dropsondes
, expendable bathythermographs (
XBTs
), and
uncrewed research drones
are launched directly from NOAA’s Hurricane Hunter aircrafts into storms.
Observing technologies NOAA uses to collect oceanic and atmospheric data during hurricanes. (Credit:
NOAA PMEL
)
The WPO Observations Program contributes to this integrated cross-NOAA effort by supporting systems including Saildrones, uncrewed aircraft drones, and drifter enhancements. By working closely with the research and operational communities in NOAA, academia, and the private sector, Richardson fosters the development of hurricane observing technologies and facilitates their transition into operational products or services that can be used in real-time hurricane monitoring and forecasting.
“Being a part of the progress is what excites me each day,” says Richardson. “Working with like-minded, brilliant scientists in the field is an inspiration in itself. I am constantly learning from each and every one of them.”
Watch
Richardson’s interview with NOAA Ocean Today
(below) to learn more about her career as a hurricane scientist and program coordinator.
LCDR Megan Gaston
Aircraft Commander, NOAA Corps and OMAO Aircraft Operations Center
Lieutenant commander (LCDR) Megan Gaston is a
NOAA Corps
aircraft commander stationed at the
Aircraft Operations Center
(AOC) in Lakeland, Florida. AOC is part of NOAA’s
Office of Marine and Aviation Operations
(OMAO), which manages and operates NOAA’s fleet of research
ships
,
aircrafts
, and
uncrewed systems
.
LCDR Megan Gaston flying the WP-3D Orion Hurricane Hunter “Kermit” into Hurricane Elsa in 2021. (Credit: NOAA AOC)
NOAA Hurricane Hunters are critical tools for hurricane research and forecasting.
Gaston flies the NOAA
WP-3D Hurricane Hunter
into hurricanes to help scientists collect critical data for hurricane research and forecasts. NOAA’s Hurricane Hunters have supported tropical system research throughout the Atlantic, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and eastern Pacific. These robust aircrafts fly directly into storms equipped with instruments to collect information that is not accessible from other tools.
The WP-3D Orion Hurricane Hunter “Kermit” taking off from Tampa, Florida during a test flight in January 2017. (Credit: Lt. Kevin Doremus, NOAA)
From the WP-3D, crewmembers can deploy additional air-deployed technologies that measure atmosphere and ocean conditions during hurricanes. Data from these instruments are transmitted to the
National Centers for Environmental Prediction
and the
National Hurricane Center
to be used for hurricane modeling and forecasting.
Underside of the WP-3D Hurricane Hunter as the
Altius-600
uncrewed research drone is deployed. (Credit:
Area-I via NOAA
)
Read more in the article
A Day in the Life of a NOAA Hurricane Hunter
and watch NOAA Ocean Today’s video (right), “
Watch NOAA’s Hurricane Hunters Fly Into the Eye of a Monster
.”
Women have a long history serving in the NOAA Corps, and opportunities for women are only improving!
An engineer by training, Gaston served in the U.S. Navy for 12 years before joining the AOC. She was excited to use her background in engineering and science to do something in the air, which led her to pursue a career as a Hurricane Hunter pilot with the NOAA Corps. Gaston has been at AOC for two years now and completed her first hurricane flight during
Hurricane Elsa
in 2021.
AOC has a number of NOAA Corps officers that are also pilots, and Gaston says she’s been fortunate to have always been surrounded by inspiring women in her job. However, she added “It can always be better! We need to get more women flying and in the science and engineering fields.”
From left to right: LCDR Becky Shaw, LCDR Megan Gaston, and Flight Directors Nikki Hathaway and Ashley Lundry after a Hurricane Hunter flight into tropical storm Grace in August 2021. (Credit: NOAA AOC)
Learn more about the history of women in the NOAA Corps in the 2018 video “
Women of the NOAA Corps: Reflections from the Sea and Sky
”, as well as Gaston’s experiences in the service in the recent “
Women of NOAA Corps Panel Discussion”
video produced in honor of Women’s History Month 2023.
Heather Holbach, Ph.D.
Meteorologist, Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies, Florida State University, Northern Gulf Institute
Heather Holbach, Ph.D.
is an Assistant in Research in the
Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies
at Florida State University (FSU). She is employed as a NOAA Cooperative Institute researcher through the
Northern Gulf Institute
working in the
Hurricane Research Division
(HRD) of NOAA’s
Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory
.
Growing up in Wisconsin, Holbach was terrified of severe weather and tornadoes. Using this fear to fuel her interest, she spent her time watching the Weather Channel where she learned about hurricanes and the NOAA Hurricane Hunters. Holbach went on to earn a Ph.D. in Meteorology from FSU in 2016. She now has a career studying hurricanes and has flown in 13 different hurricanes, flying into the eye of a hurricane almost 100 times.
Scientists and engineers are developing technology to measure wind at the ocean surface, a key variable in hurricane forecasting.
Holbach’s research focuses on understanding how wind at the air-sea interface drives hurricanes. The air-sea interface is where heat energy from the ocean is transferred to the atmosphere to fuel hurricane development and intensification, so it is critical to understand the interactions happening in this zone. However, the high energy and strong winds  make it an extremely dangerous to study and collect reliable observations from this area.
Holbach tests and develops tools like the
Stepped-Frequency Microwave Radiometer
(SFMR) used on NOAA’s
WP-3D Hurricane Hunter
, which helps researchers collect data on wind speed at the ocean’s surface. She works to better understand how the conditions in this zone impact SFMR readings to improve their accuracy for hurricane predictions.
The SFMR is an instrument mounted to the NOAA WP-3D Hurricane Hunter and is one of the primary tools used by forecasters to determine hurricane intensity.
(Credit:
NOAA AOML
)
Transmitting hurricane data to forecasters in real-time is crucial for keeping the public informed on the status of the storms.
“My goal in life has always been to help people, and knowing that the work I am doing has a direct impact on hurricane forecasts to help people prepare is incredibly meaningful to me.” Holbach says that her experiences on the Hurricane Hunter missions have been incredibly valuable to her as a scientist. “Connecting what I am seeing and experiencing to the data we are collecting helps me to be more successful in my research.”
Holbach hopes to see a continued focus on surface winds and other air-sea interactions in hurricane research. She believes that advancing technologies like uncrewed aircraft systems will be key to better observing the air-sea interface and understanding how hurricanes intensify. When it comes to forecasts and communicating about hurricanes, Holbach said, “A shift towards focusing on the hazards will lead to better understanding of the risks from hurricanes by the general public.”
Heather Holbach (right) analyzing dropsonde data with Samantha Camposano (left) and Shirley Murillo (middle) during a flight into Hurricane Fiona in 2022.
(Credit: Jason Sippel, AOML)
Holbach led the first all-female Hurricane Hunter science team and now leads the 2023 Hurricane Field Program.
In 2018, Holbach joined the
first all-female science crew
on a Hurricane Hunter flight mission into Hurricane Lane, along with
Lisa Bucci
(also featured in this article), Kelly Ryan, and Kathryn Sellwood. Holbach served as the lead project scientist on the crew and says that this historical flight was a favorite moment of her career.
Holbach currently serves as the Deputy Director for NOAA HRD’s
2023 Hurricane Field Program
. In this role, Holbach supports the Advancing the Prediction of Hurricane Experiment (APHEX), which aims to improve hurricane observations and understanding on the life cycle stages of these storms.
2023 Hurricane Field Program Deputy Director Heather Holbach (left), Hurricane Research Division Deputy Director Shirley Murillo (center), and Samantha Camposano (right), a former AOML researcher and now NHC meteorologist, after their research mission into Hurricane Fiona in September 2022. (Credit: NOAA AOML)
Martha Schönau, Ph.D.
Oceanographer, Lagrangian Drifter Laboratory, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Cooperative Institute for Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Systems
Martha Schönau, Ph.D.
is an Assistant Project Scientist for the NOAA funded
Global Drifter Program
at the
Lagrangian Drifter Laboratory
(LDL), a major partner in the
Global Drifter Array
. The LDL is located in the
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
, which leads the NOAA
Cooperative Institute for Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Systems
.
Growing up, Schönau was fascinated by a weather station her dad installed at their home, using it to track how temperature, rain, and air pressure changed with approaching storms. Now as an oceanographer, Schönau enjoys working with a variety of ocean observing tools and technologies to monitor and better understand our ocean.
Schönau has extensive experience in ocean research. During her Ph.D., she used underwater gliders to understand water transport and mixing in the tropical Pacific and looked at how ocean observations compared with model predictions. After graduate school, Schönau studied how ocean physics affect how sound propagates through the water. In her current position, Schönau uses drifters to better understand ocean and wave dynamics during hurricanes and other extreme weather events.
Martha Schönau holding a drifter. (Credit: Hannah Vey Schönau)
Drifters are key tools for monitoring our world’s ocean.
Satellite tracked drifting buoys, or drifters, are composed of a surface float equipped with a variety of sensors that provide essential information on the upper ocean such as sea surface temperature, sea level pressure, surface winds, the direction and speed of ocean currents, and waves. Drifters can have a drogue, a tail that allows the buoy to be pulled by surface currents, or be undrogued to follow surface waves. The drifters transmit data in real-time to the
Global Telecommunication System (GTS)
to provide accurate observations for weather forecasting.
Structure of a drifter. (Credit:
NOAA AOML
)
NOAA’s
Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing Program
supports the Global Drifter Program, which maintains a
global array
of over 1,250 drifters to monitor ocean conditions throughout our global ocean. Hurricanes are observed using the existing array of buoys as well as buoys that are air-deployed to target the core of the storm, including the parts where the winds are strongest.
Better understanding the ocean’s role in hurricanes may lead to better hurricane forecasts.
Interactive map
of the Lagrangian Drifter Laboratory’s Atlantic Hurricane Viewer showing Hurricane Teddy in 2020. (Credit:
SIO LDL
)
The heat stored in the ocean provides fuel for hurricanes to develop and gain strength. The amount and availability of this stored ocean heat depends on the temperature and density structure of the ocean in the upper 200 meters (approximately 650 feet). Interactions at the air-sea interface, including waves, impact hurricane development and intensification.The more we understand about how the ocean influences hurricane intensity, the more accurate our forecasts will be.
Ocean observations are critical to better understanding the role of the ocean in hurricanes. During these events, expendable drifters can be deployed from NOAA and USAF Hurricane Hunter aircrafts to better understand ocean conditions as the hurricane passes over, providing real-time observations of what is happening in the ocean and in the atmosphere underneath each storm. Schönau uses these data to study how conditions like waves affect hurricane development and intensity.
“Ocean circulation and its interaction with the atmosphere are essential to understanding our climate,” said Schönau. “Being at the forefront of understanding how ocean dynamics and air-sea interactions impact weather, extreme events and climate is exciting.”
Air deployment of a drifting buoy by the USAF 53rd on September 27, 2022 in Hurricane Ian. Drifters are typically deployed from aircrafts in cardboard boxes to reduce impacts upon landing. (Credit: Steve Jayne)
Cheyenne Stienbarger
Extreme Events Program Manager, NOAA Global Ocean Monitoring & Observing Program
Cheyenne Stienbarger
manages the Extreme Events program in NOAA’s
Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing
(
GOMO
) Program.
Stienbarger joined GOMO in 2020 as a
NOAA Sea Grant Knauss Fellow
after completing her Master’s degree in Marine Biology from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Although her research was not related to hurricanes, Stienbarger has always been passionate about understanding changes in the ocean and climate and making a positive difference for people impacted by these changes. Drawn to GOMO for its mission to provide and support high quality global ocean observations, Stienbarger now leads GOMO’s Extreme Events program, the
Tropical Pacific Observing System
, and capacity building efforts in the tropical Pacific.
GOMO’s Extreme Events program connects ocean observing to the hurricane research and forecasting communities.
NOAA and our partners have a long history of conducting hurricane research, which has largely focused on NOAA aircraft and atmospheric observations. While this has led to improvements in predicting the track of hurricanes, forecasts of hurricane intensity have not exhibited improvements to the same degree, especially when storms rapidly intensify.
Recognizing the need to better integrate ocean observations into hurricane monitoring and forecasting, Stienbarger established the Extreme Events Ocean Observations Task Team in 2020. This task team is made up of over 30 members both internal and external to NOAA, and serves as the unifying organizational infrastructure connecting the ocean and atmospheric observing and modeling communities.
“Ocean observations have been increasingly acknowledged by scientists as critical to improving the prediction of hurricane intensity,” Stienbarger said in a
Q&A interview
published by GOMO. “This is part of the motivation for developing the Extreme Events Ocean Observations Task Team and for utilizing ocean observations to improve our understanding of the ocean
underneath
the tropical cyclones.”
Cheyenne Stienbarger presenting at the 2022 Tropical Cyclone Observations and Research Forum. (Credit: NOAA GOMO)
GOMO plans an integrated ocean-atmosphere pilot experiment for the 2023 hurricane season.
To improve understanding of the ocean’s role in hurricane intensification, GOMO is leading a series of pilot experiments as part of NOAA’s
2023 Hurricane Field Program
, called
CHAOS: Coordinated Hurricane Atmosphere-Ocean Sampling
.
The goal of CHAOS is to improve our understanding of the role of the ocean, waves, and air-sea interactions in the development and intensification of hurricanes in order to produce more accurate and reliable models and forecasts. The CHAOS field experiment will use a variety of ocean observing technologies and also investigate how hurricanes are responding to changes in ocean conditions.
Cheyenne Stienbarger during a Hurricane Hunter test flight. (Credit: Sean Stoltz)
Maria Aristizabal Vargas, Ph.D.
Hurricane Modeler, NOAA Environmental Modeling Center
Maria Aristizabal Vargas, Ph.D. is a Physical Scientist at NOAA’s
Environmental Modeling Center
(
EMC
), which is a part of the
National Centers for Environmental Prediction
in the
National Weather Service
.
Aristizabal Vargas holds undergraduate and Master’s degrees in Theoretical Physics from the Universidad de Antioquia in her home country of Colombia. She earned her Ph.D. in Physical Oceanography from Rutgers University, where she studied coastal and estuarine oceanography. At NOAA EMC, Aristizabal Vargas develops coupled forecast models to better represent how the ocean drives hurricanes.
Coupled forecast models better represent the ocean and its interaction with the atmosphere.
A coupled model is one in which two or more components (including the ocean, atmosphere, land, and cryosphere) can exchange information between them. By capturing the complex interactions between these components, coupled models are capable of estimating both the track and intensity of hurricanes. This information is critical for forecasting these storms because they can estimate the location where a storm will make landfall, the strength of the winds and precipitation along its path, and anticipated flooding in coastal areas.
Maria Aristizabal Vargas helping to deploy an array of buoys to study the circulation and salt transport in the Delaware Bay estuary. (Credit: Maria Aristizabal Vargas)
Integrating ocean observations into coupled models improves the accuracy of hurricane forecasts.
Since heat stored in the ocean plays a key role in fueling hurricanes, ocean observations are important for informing models. Hurricane modelers like Aristizabal Vargas use these observations to generate a more realistic representation of the ocean in coupled hurricane models. Real-world observations can then be compared to model outputs to identify areas where the models need improvement. This brings the model closer to reality and produces more accurate and reliable predictions of hurricane track and intensity.
Realistic ocean modeling led to a more accurate representation of rapid intensification of Hurricane Michael (2018) to a Category 4 storm. (Credit:
Le Henaff et al. 2021
)
Lisa Bucci, Ph.D.
Hurricane Specialist, NOAA National Hurricane Center
Lisa Bucci, Ph.D.
is a Meteorologist and Hurricane Specialist in NOAA’s
National Hurricane Center
, which is a component of the
National Centers for Environmental Prediction
in the
National Weather Service
.
Hurricane forecasters rely on research, observations, and models to inform the public about oncoming storms.
As a part of the Hurricane Specialist Unit, Bucci is responsible for issuing hurricane forecasts in the North Atlantic and northern East Pacific basins. The team monitors these areas regularly to look for areas that indicate characteristics of tropical storm development and determines the likelihood that these areas will develop into hurricanes.
Bucci helped produce several forecasts during the 2022 season, including for
Hurricane Lisa
, which formed over the western Caribbean Sea in late October before making landfall in Belize as a Category 1 storm. Bucci also helps to plan the NOAA Hurricane Hunter missions and is developing new ways to more easily display aircraft data.
Lisa Bucci forecasting Hurricane Lisa (2022) in the southwestern Caribbean Sea. (Credit: John Cangialosi, NOAA NHC)
Bucci has an extensive background in hurricane science prior to her current position, including as a researcher on the
NOAA Hurricane Hunters
and in the
Hurricane Research Division
of NOAA’s
Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory
working for the NOAA
Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies
. Bucci was first introduced to meteorology during a presentation by a professor before she began college. “It was engaging and interesting and I decided to major in it and see where it would take me. I never thought it would be to the eye of a hurricane!”
During her Ph.D. work, Bucci led the development of the Doppler Wind Lidar system that is mounted to the Hurricane Hunter and monitors wind inside the storm. “My background has been useful for planning flight missions and strategies for data collection. This knowledge has also helped in my role as a forecaster to interpret data and compare observations from different instrumentation.”
Bucci loves that hurricane research is a blend of forecasting, training, outreach, and research that is all focused on a highly impactful weather phenomenon. “It’s exciting and humbling to know that so many people use and rely on the forecasts and information that we provide.”
Lisa Bucci operating the Doppler Wind Lidar system on a WP-3D Hurricane Hunter flight. (Credit: Sim Aberson, NOAA AOML)
In 2018, Bucci joined the
historic all-female flight
into Hurricane Lane with lead project scientist Heather Holbach (also featured in this article) as well as Kelly Ryan and Kathryn Sellwood. There she was able to test the Doppler Wind Lidar system and says it was rewarding to learn that the instruments they had built worked in a major Category 5 hurricane. Bucci is hopeful to see how new technologies in hurricane research will continue to fill in observation gaps and provide new data to improve weather forecasts, as well as how advances in modeling will help us better predict rapid hurricane intensification.
Lisa Bucci during a flight on NOAA’s WP-3D Hurricane Hunter plane.
(Credit: Ashley Lundry, NOAA AOC)
Women remain a minority in hurricane sciences, but progress is being made
Like many STEM fields, oceanography and meteorology have traditionally been male-dominated. Although the number of women attending graduate school in STEM fields has increased substantially over the years, the proportion of women, particularly those from underrepresented or minority groups, making it to full-time research or leadership positions remains low.
Women in hurricane science face many challenges, ranging from subtle to overt.
For example, it can be difficult to balance field work and research with basic maternal care. “Women that are pregnant or nursing may have restricted access to aircrafts and research vessels,” noted Heather Holbach, “This can make it difficult for them to do research and advance in their careers.” Martha Schönau added that, “With pressure to compete for research funding and to rapidly publish, it can be tough to accommodate time with family, especially during the early years of parenthood.” However, she remarked that STEM fields are becoming increasingly accepting of non-traditional career paths and remote work that makes it easier for women to find work-life balance.
GOMO Program Manager Cheyenne Stienbarger and WPO Observations Coordinator Renee Richardson join the 2023 pre-season field testing of the WP-3D aircraft at AOC in Lakeland, Florida. (Credit: Dr. Josh Wadler, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University)
Both Stienbarger and Bucci expressed that
being a woman in hurricane science can be lonely, but this is changing as women take on more roles in STEM fields.
Bucci said, “At the beginning of my career, when I first began to fly in 2012, it was not uncommon for me to be the only woman on-board a hurricane mission. However, by 2018, I was part of the first all-female science crew!” As more women join the field, loneliness occurs less frequently. “More and more women are taking on senior positions, leadership roles, and leading groundbreaking research in the hurricane sciences,” said Richardson, adding that “although progress is being made, we cannot get complacent, there’s still work to do!”
The first all-female science crew on a Hurricane Hunter flight to observe Hurricane Lane in 2018, including (left to right) Lisa Bucci, Kelly Ryan, Kathryn Sellwood, and Heather Holbach. (Credit:
NOAA AOML
)
For women just starting out in hurricane science or STEM fields, our interviewees had several pieces of advice:
Schönau recommended building a solid foundation in hard sciences, but also exploring your interests and curiosities. “Most successes usually come after multiple failures,” she observed, “so don’t get discouraged or stressed over finding the right answer.” Gaston encouraged women to “take every opportunity that comes your way and don’t be afraid to fail. If it scares you, that’s usually something you should try to do.” Bucci added, “Don’t be afraid to ask questions or to ask for help.” By putting yourself out there and growing your network, Richardson said “you can build long-lasting and impactful relationships that will benefit you throughout your career.”
Finally, Holbach shared these words of encouragement: “
Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something because you are a woman.
If you are passionate and put in the hard work to accomplish your goals, nothing can stop you from achieving them.”
Special thanks to Renee Richardson, LCDR Megan Gaston, Heather Holbach, Martha Schönau, Cheyenne Stienbarger, Maria Aristizabal Vargas, and Lisa Bucci for participating in this Women in Hurricane Sciences feature.
Author Jesse Gwinn is a 2023 Knauss Fellow focusing on communications and capacity building projects for the GOMO Program.
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Hurricane Drifters Deployed Ahead of Epsilon - Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing

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Hurricane Drifters Deployed Ahead of Epsilon
Jessica Mkitarian
November 6, 2020
Extreme Events
,
News
Hurricane Drifters Deployed Ahead of Epsilon
On October 22, 2020 a C-130J of the US Air Force Reserve 53rd squadron “Hurricane Hunters” deployed 12 drifters ahead of Hurricane Epsilon northeast of Bermuda. The drifters, designed and built at Scripps’ Lagrangian Drifter Lab and funded by the Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing Program, are measuring directional wave spectra, wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, sea temperatures from the surface to 150 meters depth, and near-surface ocean currents. All 12 drifters transmitted data that were placed used by National Hurricane Center forecasters. The data are being analyzed as a case study of a hurricane transitioning to extratropical status, with an unusually large gale-force wind field.
This deployment was coordinated by Rick Lumpkin (
NOAA’s
Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory
), in partnership with Luca Centurioni (
Scripps’ Lagrangian Drifter Laboratory
), the Chief, Aerial Reconnaissance Coordination, All Hurricanes (CARCAH, National Weather Service’s
National Hurricane Center
), and colleagues in AOML’s Hurricane Research Division, NWS’ Environmental Modeling Center, and elsewhere.
Figure 1. The projected track of Epsilon. The yellow icons indicate directional wave spectrum drifters; targeted deployments for this storm as well as previous storms have seeded the entire path with wave, SST, and SLP measuring drifters.
Figure 2. The significant wave height on the coastward side of Epsilon has two distinct peaks. GDP researchers are working together with the NWS forecasting staff to understand how well this is represented in the models.
Figure 1. The projected track of Epsilon. The yellow icons indicate directional wave spectrum drifters; targeted deployments for this storm as well as previous storms have seeded the entire path with wave, SST, and SLP measuring drifters.
Figure 2. The significant wave height on the coastward side of Epsilon has two distinct peaks. GDP researchers are working together with the NWS forecasting staff to understand how well this is represented in the models.
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Successful Workshop for 'Integrating Ocean Observations to Improve NOAA’s Hurricane Intensity Forecasts' - Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing

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Successful Workshop for ‘Integrating Ocean Observations to Improve NOAA’s Hurricane Intensity Forecasts’
Jessica Mkitarian
February 1, 2021
Extreme Events
,
News
Successful Workshop for 'Integrating Ocean Observations to Improve NOAA’s Hurricane Intensity Forecasts'
NOAA’s Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing Program, along with U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) and Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML), recently held the virtual workshop “
Integrating Ocean Observations to Improve NOAA’s Hurricane Intensity Forecasts.
” This workshop brought together leaders in the observational and modeling communities to discuss ways to improve integration, coordination, and communication across NOAA ocean observing and modeling activities as it relates to hurricane intensity forecasting. Attendance averaged 115 participants, and up to 150 each day. Presentations from the workshop can be found
here
, and a workshop report is currently being drafted. This workshop was a great example of cross line office collaboration and engagement within NOAA. In addition to leadership representation from GOMO,
AOML
, and
U.S. IOOS
,  keynote presentations provided representation from NOAA’s
National Weather Service
and
Office of Marine and Aviation Operations
. Participants represented a suite of offices, programs, labs, etc. within NOAA, as well as external partners (e.g., U.S. Navy, Naval Research Laboratory, Rutgers University, University of Washington, and many more!). This workshop was an important step in progressing coordination to improve extreme event forecasting. Stay tuned for next steps!
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NOAA’s Efforts to Improve Hurricane Forecasts Tested on Isaias - Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing

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NOAA’s Efforts to Improve Hurricane Forecasts Tested on Isaias
Jessica Mkitarian
August 10, 2020
Extreme Events
,
Global Ocean Monitoring and Observation (GOMO)
,
News
NOAA’s Efforts to Improve Hurricane Forecasts Tested on Isaias
with Gliders, Drifters, and Argo floats
NOAA’s Extreme Events-Ocean Observations (EE-OO) Task Team supports the coordination of targeted and sustained ocean observing efforts to improve the understanding of air-sea interaction during high wind events, with the goal of improving the accuracy of hurricane intensity forecasts. The task team coordinated observations in front of and along the track of Hurricane Isaias with air deployed drifters and already in place Argo floats and gliders, and are now conducting analysis of data and potential ocean impacts.
Highlights:
Hurricane Isaias provided a test case to evaluate the ocean component of the full end-to-end hurricane forecast data flow across three regions: the formation zone in the Caribbean, the re-intensification zone just before landfall in the South Atlantic Bight, and an impact zone in the Mid Atlantic Bight.
The Navy’s data-assimilative Global Ocean Forecast System (
GOFS
) – the start of the ocean forecast value chain for hurricanes – demonstrated that a global model can reproduce key Essential Ocean Features across all three regions through the assimilation of temperature and salinity profile data from the combined Argo plus Hurricane Glider network.
As of August 4, 2020, Hurricane Weather Research and Forecast System (
HWRF
), one of the world’s leading hurricane forecast models, officially switched to the same ocean initial condition value chain for the ocean component of its coupled atmosphere-ocean forecasts. This will enable realistic, data supported representation of the ocean in regions of hurricane generation and development.
This effort is made possible with a team of scientists and researchers from AOML, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Rutgers University, WHOI, University of Miami, and support from GOMO, US IOOS, and NWS. This team worked safely during the COVID-19 pandemic, following CDC and NOAA guidelines, to deploy for the third year an enhanced Hurricane Glider Picket Line to conduct ocean observations that are used in hurricane forecast models with the
ultimate goal of protecting life and property in U.S. coastal areas.
See attached PDF for more information.
Documents to Download
FINAL EEOO Hurricane Isaias Ocean Obs Report Aug 7 2020
(PDF)
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Upcoming Workshop: Integrating Ocean Observations to Improve NOAA's Hurricane Intensity Forecasts - Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing

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Upcoming Workshop: Integrating Ocean Observations to Improve NOAA’s Hurricane Intensity Forecasts
Jessica Mkitarian
December 21, 2020
Extreme Events
,
Global Ocean Monitoring and Observation (GOMO)
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Upcoming Workshop: Integrating Ocean Observations to Improve NOAA’s Hurricane Intensity Forecasts
The GOMO-led Extreme Events Ocean Observations Task Team is organizing the workshop: Integrating Ocean Observations to Improve NOAA’s Hurricane Intensity Forecasts. The workshop will be held virtually from Tuesday, January 26 through Thursday, January 28, 2021. This workshop will focus on upper ocean and air-sea interface observing, analysis, and modeling by developing a framework for coordinated ocean observing in support of hurricane intensity science and forecasting. We aim to will bring together leaders in the observational and modeling communities to discuss ways to improve integration, coordination, and communication across NOAA as it relates to hurricane intensity forecasting. A workshop report will be written and published that will summarize discussions, key findings, and practical actionable recommendations.
Learn more and register here
.
Background: Despite marked improvements in tropical cyclone track forecasts, uncertainties in numerical models have resulted in only marginal improvements in intensity forecasts over the past two decades. Research indicates that insufficient observations of upper ocean conditions is a contributing factor to our inability to improve intensity forecasts. Improving NOAA’s hurricane intensity forecasting will require an integrated ocean observing system with both sustained and targeted (i.e. rapidly deployed) ocean observations that can in turn be used to initialize ocean-atmosphere coupled tropical cyclone forecast models. Please visit the
workshop website
for more information
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Glider in the Gulf Stream Gathers Vital Data Days Before Early Storm - Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing

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Glider in the Gulf Stream Gathers Vital Data Days Before Early Storm
Jessica Mkitarian
June 2, 2020
Extreme Events
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Glider in the Gulf Stream Gathers Vital Data Days Before Early Storm
An autonomous underwater glider in the Gulf Stream has gathered information ahead of early-season Tropical Storm Arthur, passing within 75 kilometers of the eye of the storm. This routine operation provided observations of the relatively cool upper ocean waters (less than the 26°C typically needed to sustain tropical systems) along the storm’s projected track, even in the Gulf Stream. Those observations were made available for forecast models in real-time throughout the storm’s evolution. Glider data provides information on water temperature not only at the surface but also at depth, which is crucial to understanding hurricane intensity. The Gulf Stream has been continuously monitored with autonomous underwater gliders by Robert Todd at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (partially supported by GOMO) since 2015. These gliders start in Miami and are picked up south of New England months later after criss-crossing the Gulf Stream. This research has provided crucial information on how the Gulf Stream is changing over time and seasonally.
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Hurricane Gliders Launched in the Gulf Stream - Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing

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Hurricane Gliders Launched in the Gulf Stream
Jessica Mkitarian
January 9, 2020
Extreme Events
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Global Ocean Monitoring and Observation (GOMO)
,
Monitoring Platforms
,
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Hurricane Glider in the Gulf Stream, July 2019. Credit: Robert Todd, WHOI
Two hurricane gliders are making their way up the Gulf Stream to measure heat content to help forecast tropical storms and hurricanes. One glider was released on July 24, 2019 from Miami, FL and the other is expected to deploy in September. These deployments are part of a new project from PI Robert Todd at
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
(WHOI).
The Gulf Stream carries large quantities of warm water northward along the US East Coast. This reservoir of warm water can be an important source of energy to fuel hurricanes. Measuring the heat content in the Gulf Stream along the coast from Florida to North Carolina helps inform forecasts for a region in which tropical storms and hurricanes often form or intensify. Northeastward from from North Carolina, the Gulf Stream flows away from the coast and its northern edge is a boundary between the warm tropical waters that fuel hurricanes and the much cooler subtropical waters that can weaken passing hurricanes. Measuring the location and shape of this boundary is important for informing forecasts of when and where storms may begin to weaken and lose their tropical characteristics. Complementing satellite measurements that capture sea surface temperatures, the gliders provide key information on the subsurface heat content available to passing storms
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Hurricane Lorenzo Passes Directly Over PIRATA Mooring - Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing

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Hurricane Lorenzo Passes Directly Over PIRATA Mooring
Jessica Mkitarian
January 9, 2020
Extreme Events
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Global Ocean Monitoring and Observation (GOMO)
,
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,
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Hurricane Lorenzo Passes Directly Over PIRATA Mooring
On Thursday, September 26, 2019, Hurricane Lorenzo tracked directly over the PIRATA T-Flex mooring at 15°N, 38°W. Despite the direct hit, the mooring remains in position and continues to transmit high-quality, high-resolution data in real-time. Refer to the image which shows the approximate location of the PIRATA mooring superimposed over the Enhanced Infrared (IR) Imagery (1 km Mercator, from MODIS/AVHRR) of Hurricane Lorenzo immediately prior to passing over the PIRATA mooring.
Data collected from the
Global Tropical Moored Buoy Array
helps us understand changes in the ocean and improve our forecasts and predictions of marine events. Data plots included here (refer to image below) illustrate the oceanic and atmospheric changes during a hurricane, most notably one can see the barometric pressure drops dramatically.
T-Flex (or “Tropical Flex”) moorings are a newer generation of moorings that were developed at PMEL to replace the legacy ATLAS mooring technology. T-Flex incorporates new or updated commercially available sensors and uses Iridium for telemetry of higher temporal resolution data. This is particularly advantageous for observing natural phenomena that occur over short time scales, such as the passing of a hurricane. Unlike ATLAS moorings, T-Flex moorings transmit high-res data in real-time, meaning we do not need to wait a year to recover the mooring before we can take advantage of using the data. Both the PIRATA and RAMA moored buoy arrays are in the process of transitioning to T-Flex moorings.
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Biden-Harris Administration invests $2.1 million for measuring surface ocean carbon through the Investing in America agenda - Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing

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Biden-Harris Administration invests $2.1 million for measuring surface ocean carbon through the Investing in America agenda
Jessica Mkitarian
May 31, 2024
News
,
Press Release
Funding will expand observations, improve forecasting of carbon dioxide levels in the ocean surface and atmosphere
This is a repost of a
NOAA.gov press release
published May 30, 2024.
Today, the Department of Commerce and NOAA announced the award of $2.1 million to support surface ocean and atmospheric carbon observations and monitoring through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. These funds from
the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
will allow NOAA to expand a global network of sensors to track carbon dioxide in the ocean. They will also serve to improve the understanding and forecasting of global climatic and environmental changes.
“Thanks to President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this investment of over $2 million will help NOAA continue leading the way on the vital work to observe and forecast the impacts of climate change globally,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “It will also create innovative partnerships with private companies to improve carbon emissions tracking and strengthen the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to reduce atmospheric CO
2
concentrations.”
Monitoring changes in surface ocean and atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO
2
) is key to understanding the impact of human-caused emissions on climate change and ocean health. The ocean naturally absorbs approximately a quarter of carbon dioxide released by fossil fuel burning and other human activities. This natural absorption reduces the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that remain in the atmosphere and contribute to climate change. However, the increase of concentration of CO
2
in the ocean can also have negative implications for the broader marine ecosystems, notably ocean acidification.
“NOAA is once again proud to take a global leadership role in this important work, and proud to be one of the largest contributors of data to these multinational efforts,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “This monitoring initiative will help to address information needs and answer the urgent call to understand and assess the state of the world’s climate.”
The funds will allow
NOAA’s Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing Program
to deploy new CO
2
sensors in climate-critical regions, helping to fill important data gaps in these undersampled areas. This effort is part of the
Surface Ocean CO
2
Reference Observing Network (SOCONET)
, a global network of automated measurements of atmospheric and surface ocean CO
2
concentrations.
Monitoring efforts will provide policymakers with information on the global carbon cycle for climate negotiations and action. Tracking carbon in the ocean is an important component of
NOAA’s broader efforts to understand the impact of greenhouse gases on climate.
Monitoring and observing can also help experts to track the impacts to international ocean health — such as ocean acidification — and can inform ecosystem and fisheries management.
SOCONET will improve the ability to track carbon emissions and uptakes, which are essential for verifying the U.S. commitments to the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Global Carbon Stocktake
, the World Meteorological Organization
Global Greenhouse Gas Watch (G3W)
and the
Paris Climate Agreement
to monitor and reduce atmospheric CO
2
concentrations.
These ocean carbon monitoring and observation projects will focus on assessing ocean regions that are essential for understanding the global carbon cycle. To do so, a new generation of carbon sensors with improved accuracy will be installed on a variety of novel platforms, such as cargo vessels, passenger cruise lines and research vessels, including
NOAA Ship
Ronald H. Brown
and
Saildrone
autonomous surface vehicles.
Many commercial companies have shown interest in such activities in the past. Cruise ship companies, for example, have installed real-time displays that detail carbon levels in the ocean and atmosphere. These companies have also developed explanatory materials for passengers.
Increased data will improve the accuracy of climate forecasting tools. The measurements from ships and uncrewed surface vehicles will be recorded annually in the
Surface Ocean CO
2
Atlas (SOCAT),
a global database with over 100 international contributors. The measurements will also be synthesized and used to estimate the amount of atmospheric CO
2
that is absorbed by the ocean. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding will also modernize the SOCAT data submission tools and expedite the release of the SOCAT data sets, providing vital information for climate policy and ecosystem and fisheries management.
Visit the
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
website to learn about current and future funding opportunities.
Media contact: Alison Gillespie,
alison.gillespie@noaa.gov
, (202) 713-6644
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