Tracking Hurricane SandyPete Arvedson

California Science ConferenceOctober 26, 2013

Hosted by Satellite Educators AssociationLesson Development supported by a grant from NOAA-CREST West

View these video clips:

0508.katrina.mov

121020-31_sandy_life.mov

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What did you see?

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What would you like to know more about?

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Observe severe storm action from space ID weather patterns Differentiate wind speed from storm speed Analyze satellite images of storms – ImageJ Analyze storm characteristics – GIS Apply skills to analysis of other storms

Lesson Objectives

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Not like frontal storms Cyclonic Require…

◦ Warm ocean water… At least 26.5˚C (79.7˚F) To depth at least 50m (164ft)

◦ Slowly rising air

Tropical Cyclones

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Tropical Cyclones

TYPHOONCYCLON

E

HURRICANE

HURRICANE

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Huracán Taino people Puerto Rico Thunder and

deluge caused by matriarch’s male attendants

Columbus lost ships to huracán

Notice Taino symbol for storm

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Slowly rising Warm Moistened Air Circles Drawing more energy

from warmer-than-usual water

Hurricane

http://visibleearth.nasa.gov

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Horizontal bands of rain form arms of spiral

Hurricane

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hurricanes/archives/2012/h2012_Sandy.html

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Cooler air drawn down thru center

Relatively calm clean air

Eyewall – most destructive◦ Wind direction

same as storm’s forward motion

Hurricane Eye

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Hurricanes/hurricanes_2.php

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Category Sustained Wind Speed Damage

(km/hr) (mph) (kt)

1 119-153 74-95 64-82 Some

2 154-177 96-110 83-95 Extensive

3 178-209 111-130 96-113 Devastating

4 210-249 131-155 114-135 Catastrophic

5 >249 >155 >135 Catastrophic

Saffir-Simpson Scale for Hurricanes

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Chris Dolce – The Weather Channel… 1900-early August 2011 27 “billion dollar storms” 8 of the “top ten” occurred since 2004 7 surpassed $10 billion mark..

6 of those 7 occurred since 2004 3 rank in $10-$20 billion range…

Ivan & Charley (2004) & Rita (2005) 3 rank in $20-$30 billion club

Andrew (1992), Wilma (2005), Ike (2008) 1 at $108 billion damage – Katrina (2005) Hurricane Sandy – 2nd place at $65 billion in

damage

Billion Dollar Storms

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Data Miners◦ NHC Advisory Archive data to csv

Cartographers◦ Display/manipulate csv data in GIS

Meteorologists◦ Research Hurricane Sandy characteristics and

behavior online Analysts

◦ Measure Hurricanes Sandy & Katrina with ImageJ

Jigsaw Expert Groups

National Hurricane Center Past Advisory Archive http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

Expert 1: Data Miners

HURRICANE KATRINA - AUGUST 2005

AdvNum Date UTC

Wind(mph

) ScalePress(mb)

CenterLat (N)

CenterLon (W) Direction

Speed(mph)

19 28-Aug 0300 115 Cat 3 939 25.0 86.2 WNW 7

20 28-Aug 0600 145 Cat 4 935 25.1 86.8 WNW 8

21 28-Aug 0900 145 Cat 4 935 25.4 87.4 WNW 10

22 28-Aug 1200 160 Cat 5 908 25.7 87.7 WNW 12

23 28-Aug 1500 175 Cat 5 907 26.0 88.1 WNW 12

24 28-Aug 2100 165 Cat 5 902 26.9 89.0 NW 13

25 29-Aug 0300 160 Cat 5 904 27.6 89.4 NNW 10

26 29-Aug 0900 150 Cat 4 915 28.8 89.6 N 15

27 29-Aug 1500 125 Cat 3 927 30.2 89.6 N 16

28 29-Aug 2100 75 Cat 1 960 31.9 89.6 N 18

29 30-Aug 0300 60 TS 973 33.5 88.5 NNE 22

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ESRI’s ArcGIS Explorer Online http://www.arcgis.com/explorer

Expert 2: Catographers

Hurricane Sandy research using NASA hurricane archives

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hurricanes/archives/2012/h2012_Sandy.html

Expert 3: Meteorologists

Measure cloud fields of Hurricanes Katrina & Sandyusing ImageJ…◦ Diameter◦ Perimeter◦ Area

Expert 4: Analysts

Sandy vs. Katrina

Cloud Field Measurement Results with ImageJ

Hurricane: Katrina Sandy

Diameter: (miles) 370-450 800-850

Perimeter: (miles) 4616 6685

Area: (sq. miles) 153,470 482,922

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Expert reportsCompare…

◦Hurricane Sandy◦Hurricane Katrina

Using ArcGIS Explorer Onlinehttp://www.arcgis.com/explorer/?open=d9fd13d5107d440889a672c13bdd2fad&extent=-14096706.1206861,1121890.54653785,-4596652.62920346,5304552.98653786

Home Teams

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Use suggestions from printed lesson plan Note learners’ questions during the lesson

and encourage learners to devise a plan for and follow through an investigation of one or more of those questions.

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Extend

Grade 6:4. Many phenomena on Earth’s surface are affected by the

transfer of energy through radiation and convection currents. (d, e)

7. Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. (a, d, h)

Grade 7:7. Scientific progress is made by asking careful questions and

conducting meaningful investigations. (a-e) Grade 8:

1. The velocity of an object is the rate of change of its position. (a-c)

9. Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. (a, f)

California Science Standards

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Grades 9-12: Physics3. Energy cannot be created or destroyed, although in many

processes energy is transformed to the environment as heat. (c)

Grades 9-12: Chemistry7. Energy is exchanged or transformed in all chemical reactions

and physical changes of matter. (a, c) Grades 9-12: Earth Sciences

1. Heating of Earth’s surface and atmosphere by the sun drives convection within the atmosphere and oceans, producing winds and ocean currents. (a, b, d)

Grades 9-12: Investigation and Experimentation1. Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and

conducting careful investigations. (a, d, i)

California Science Standards

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Pete Arvedson - arvedson@aol.com Check out lesson plans in Satellite Educators

Association (SEA) monthly Newsletter…http://www.SatEd.org

More opportunities to involve students doing research:SEA’s M.Y. S.P.A.C.E.* Program - an international high school collaborative environmental research program using satellite-based data…

http://www.calstatela.edu/programs/crest/ * (Multinational Youth Studying Practical Applications of Climatic Events)

Contact Information

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