Hurricane Research
Real-time access to satellite measurements has enhanced LSU faculty research on hurricane processes, prediction, and coastal impacts. This capability has allowed researchers to estimate the radius of maximum winds using satellite measurements from the storm's eye, a measure that can be used to estimate wave height and storm surges (Hsu, 2005). Researchers have also been able to investigate the effects of dry atmospheric masses, cool water upwelling, and oceanic heat content on hurricane track and intensity changes.
One study of oceanic conditions and mid to upper-level winds during Katrina (2005) and Rita (2005) demonstrated that both hurricanes experienced rapid intensification over Loop Current waters in the Gulf due to favorable upper level easterly winds in tandem with high oceanic heat content. In contrast to the 2005 hurricanes, a detailed analysis of Hurricane Ivan (2004) revealed that its intensity decreased as it crossed the Gulf due to dry air advection and a reduction in ocean energy due to cold water upwelllings, within large cold-core eddies along its track (Walker et al., GRL, 2005). Hurricane Ivan’s impacts on coastal shelf/slope circulation and on beach morphology changes were also assessed (Stone et al., 2005). Using higher resolution images from Radarat-1 SAR and SPOT we quantified the conversion of land to water in southeast Louisiana wetlands.
Hurricane Research Publications
- Exploration of Real-time Satellite Measurements to Advance Hurricane Intensity Prediction in the Northern Gulf of Mexico
Nan Walker et al, October 2009. - Phytoplankton community structure responses to urban effluent inputs following Hurricane Katrina and Rita
James L. Pinckney et al, July 2009. - Hurricane Prediction: A Century of Advances
Nan Walker et al, July 2006. - On the radial variation of the tangential wind speed outside the radius of maximum wind during Hurricane Wilma (2005)
Brian Blanchard et al, January 2006. - Rapid Estimation of Maximum Storm Surges Induced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005
Shih-Ang Hsu et al, January 2006. - Hurricane Ivan's Impact along the northern Gulf of Mexico
G. W. Stone et al, November 2005. - Applications of Radarsat-1 synthetic aperture radar imagery to assess hurricane related flooding of coastal Louisiana
Lawrence M. Kiage et al, October 2005. - Estimating the radius maximum winds via satellite during Hurricane Lili (2002) over the Gulf of Mexico
Shih-Ang Hsu et al, February 2005. - Hurricane-forced Upwelling and Chlorophyll a Enhancement within Cold-core Cyclones in the Gulf of Mexico
Nan Walker et al, January 2005. - Characteristics of Hurricane Lili's intensity changes.
Adele Babin et al, December 2004. - A wind-wave interaction explanation for Jelesniankski's open-ocean storm surge estimation using Hurricane Georges' (1998) measurements
Shih-Ang Hsu et al, January 2004. - Tropical Storm and Hurricane Wind Effects on Water Level, Salinity, and Sediment Transport in the River-Influenced Atchafalaya-Vermillion Bay System, Louisiana, USA
Nan Walker et al, August 2001. - An evaluation of the USACE's deepwater wave prediction techniques under hurricane conditions during Georges in 1998
Shih-Ang Hsu et al, August 2000. - The Relationship Between Water Vapor and Hurricane Track Using the GOES-8 Satellite
Melvin F. Martin Jr. et al, January 2000.
