Recently, typhoons have grown in intensity and destruction due to climate change effects. The importance of accurately predicting a typhoon's behavior before it hits land cannot be overstated. Currently, weather reports estimate typhoon conditions based on satellite images, offering limited accuracy.
Previous research in 2017 used aircraft to make direct observations and increased the precision of typhoon forecasts. However, for even more powerful typhoons, making accurate observations becomes difficult due to harsh conditions. In response, NTT and OIST initiated joint research in 2021 to observe typhoon-predicting factors under even the most severe circumstances.
For their 2022 observations, NTT purchased a new Wave Glider, an autonomous, unmanned surface vehicle, for this purpose. The two Wave Gliders successfully observed several factors crucial for predicting typhoon intensity, including a sudden drop in air pressure near the center of the typhoon, a drop in seawater temperature due to typhoon-induced churning, and a sudden increase in significant wave height near the center of the typhoon.
These observations were directly beneath Typhoon Hinnamnor, a violent Category 5 typhoon that began on August 28, 2022. The Wave Gliders were strategically placed along the predicted path of the typhoon, taking simultaneous atmospheric and oceanic measurements.
The measurements showed sudden changes in air pressure in the violent wind region of the typhoon, a rapid drop in seawater temperature (approx. 2 C) near the typhoon's center, and a maximum wave height of about 9 meters. The data also revealed changes in ocean currents speed as the typhoon passed and measured ecosystem factors such as salt concentrations and amounts of chlorophyll a.
The research results were published in the May 22, 2023 issue of Scientific Online Letters on the Atmosphere (SOLA) by the Meteorological Society of Japan. The team will continue to analyze the collected data, improve observation equipment, and understand the interactions between the atmosphere and the oceans.
In the future, this research team aims to increase the precision of typhoon predictions by refining methods for typhoon observations and explaining the mechanisms at work within typhoons. This research will enable a more accurate analysis and prediction of typhoon conditions before they hit land.
Additionally, the team plans to partner with various industries and facilities to optimize real-time typhoon observation methods. By understanding the effects of global warming on typhoons and the effects of typhoons on the global environment, the researchers aim to foster better societal behaviors to preserve and regenerate the Earth.
Research Report:Simultaneous Observations of Atmosphere and Ocean Directly under Typhoons Using Autonomous Surface Vehicles
Related Links
Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
When the Earth Quakes
A world of storm and tempest
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