Presenter: Julia Davis (US Naval Academy)

Description:
The evolution of the surface wave field before, during, and after the passage of Hurricane Teddy (2020) is analyzed from observations collected by 11 Air-Launched Autonomous Micro-Observer (ALAMO) ocean profiling floats spanning the tropical cyclone (TC) track.  Deployed at ~25-km spacing from US Air Force WC-130J Hurricane Hunter aircraft about 450 km ahead of the TC and 24 hours prior to Teddy’s passage over the floats as a Category IV storm, the surface wave field was sampled for about 15 minutes about every 2 hours as the float completed each upper ocean profile.  The rapid increase in significant wave height captured across the storm track is examined, and differences in sea and swell directions relative to the TC center are analyzed.  Finally, comparisons to prior Wide Swath Radar Altimeter observations are conducted to better understand the azimuthal dependence of wave variability relative to the TC heading.