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| Presentation |
| Paper |
Amy Harless
University of North Carolina at Asheville
Subject Listing - Atmospheric Sciences
Advisor: Dr. Christopher C. Hennon
Thursday, Oral Session 1, Presentation 3, New Hall 118
TROPICAL CYCLONE HYPERACTIVITY IN THE EASTERN AND CENTRAL CARIBBEAN SEA DURING THE 2005 ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON
The 2005 hurricane season produced an unprecedented number of hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean. With twenty-three named storms, the pre-determined list of storm names was exhausted; and for the first time since record-keeping, an auxiliary list was implemented. In addition, a second record was broken when Hurricane Wilma's minimum pressure hit 882 millibars, exceeding the record low of Hurricane Mitch (1998). One aspect of the overall hyperactivity was the elevated number of tropical cyclone formations in the eastern and central Caribbean Sea. This research focuses on the tropical cyclone activity in this area and examines the reasons contributing to this increased frequency. The North Atlantic covers a vast amount of area, and different regions of this area have distinctive atmospheric conditions that make the creation and development of hurricanes more favorable. Results will be presented that examine these specific conditions. The uniqueness of this season, which made this region more conducive to hurricane formation and intensification, will be compared to the past climatology. The driving forces investigated are mid-latitude baroclinic factors, sea surface temperatures, depth of the region's oceanic mixed layer, and vertical wind shear. The Chi-Square statistical test will be applied in order to give an indication as to whether or not there is a difference in the number of hurricanes in and crossing through the area of study compared to past seasons. This research may lead to more accurate forecasting for the origination and tracking of a season's hurricanes in the eastern and Central Caribbean Sea. This may enable forecasters to more skillfully project how individual regions will be affected by tropical systems, thus increasing warning lead times and better protecting society against the destruction of hurricanes.
Advisor: Dr. Christopher C. Hennon, Assistant Professor, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of North Carolina at Asheville, Asheville, NC