On the Use of AVHRR Data for the Development and Application of Atlantic Basin/Gulf of Mexico Sea Surface Temperature Maps

                                                                                                    Luke Oman, Matt Georgescu

                                                                                      Center for Environmental Prediction, Cook College,

                                                                                 Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University

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ABSTRACT                                         THEORY OF TROPICAL CYCLONE GENESIS

METHODOLOGY

RESULTS

CONCLUSIONS

REFERENCES

Hypothesis

A procedure can be developed using AVHRR SST data to create reasonably accurate SST and SST anomaly maps without the use of a declouding algorithm.

Description of Project:

The project will consist of 2 main parts:  

    The first part will involve the creation of high resolution sea surface temperature (SST) maps and anomaly maps of the Western Atlantic Ocean and the adjacent Gulf of Mexico. AVHRR data, collected in the Marine Science Remote Sensing Lab, will be used.  The images will be averaged over the calendar months and subtracted from a climatology data set.  This climatology data set is available from the Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center (PO.DAAC) and contains SSTs averaged from 1985-1997 at a resolution of 9.28km. The anomaly maps can be produced back to 1994 based on the data set available in Marine Sciences.  A main goal of the project is to compare our reproduced SST anomaly maps to a set contained by the Navy.  The derived maps are regionalized and contain quantitative information that may be used for further study.  Future studies may be able to use these SST maps and SST anomaly maps for 3-6 month climate prediction for the surrounding Mid-Atlantic and parts of the Northeast to  better improve seasonal forecasts issued by NCEP.
    The second part of the project will involve an application of the derived SST maps.  The maps will be analyzed by studying the sea surface temperature and its changes due to the passage of tropical cyclones, as well as its possible effect and impact on the evolution/destruction of tropical systems in the aforementioned area.  The results presented here will be compared to theoretical tropical cyclone studies.  In particular, 5 tropical systems occurring in the Western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico during the 1999 hurricane season will be studied based on their path, strength, and effect on SSTs and their possible contribution to the evolution/destruction of later storms.