Research Help Needed: Upper-Levels of TCs

[JonathanBelles]

I am looking for, and having a hard time finding, literature on the upper level structure of tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic Basin. I found a couple of journal articles that date back to the 1960's, however much of that data is extinct.

Eventually, I will be developing a climatology for the upper levels of tropical cyclones mainly between 200-150 mb in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico. I am looking for literature to guide my studies. This is part of the project I am working on with the NOAA Hurricane Hunters.

Any help is appreciated!

[chaser1]

Jonathan - interesting research, in that most by far seems to be consumed by data collection and analysis pertaining to the cyclones' lower and mid levels. Because there would seem to be a direct corrolation between potential extreme RI, potentially over all size of some systems, as well as the mitigating factors that might inhibit a cyclone's strengthening or simply upper level conditions in general and their impact on overall conditions being more or less conducive for development, a good deal of additional research would seem to be warrented.

To your point, I was amazed at how old most articles were that were written or focused more on the upper levels. Found a link to an article from the AMS that may/may not add to info that you already have (http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10. ... -0469(1997)054%3C2519%3ATMPIOT%3E2.0.CO%3B2 & also http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/pdf/10. ... 2.0.CO%3B2). Of particular interest however, might be some of the cited references and the data that might be "mined" there.

Perhaps "googling" the Gulfstream jet in relationship to upper level data gathered in more recent years might help you find some recent literature.

Finally, and perhaps relevent to your research....., I seem to remember a fairly recent event but not able to specifically recall the Hurricane (Katrina or Michael perhaps??). I was amazed when I had heard the data which as reported, indicated that the warm core of that particular hurricane was such, that the winds were actually continued cyclonic up to some crazy level like 200mb (or maybe even higher - 150mb??); the anticyclone above obviously extended that much highter into the atmosphere. Though I had never heard of such conditions occuring in any other storm, this may well have been documented on more than one occassion but was perhaps unaware of it.

I was lucky enough to fly into 2 different hurricane while Dr. McFadden was there, and were a couple of the most awesome experiences I had ever had. Good luck with your research!

[beoumont]

The map below is from Banner I Miller (Atlantic Hurricanes) depicting a maximum inensity configuration at 200 mb. for optimal conditions for a Hurricane to reach maximum intensity. Note the small upper low right over the top.
I noticed early on in the progs. when Katrina was moving SW over Florida that the GFS and CMC were predicting the central circulation reaching all the way up to to the 200 mb. level as well when the eye got to the central Gulf; and this verified.

In general, when the short term forecast maps (24-72 hrs) for the 200 mb level above a developing hurricane indicate a small upper low embedded in a large upper high, that model is implying cat. #4 or #5 intensity. You don't see this often.