Diagnosing Kinematic Processes Responsible for Precipitation Distributions in Hurricanes

Tropical cyclones, also called hurricanes or typhoons, pose a significant threat to coastal communities through high winds, storm surge, and heavy rainfall. Poor predictions of tropical cyclones can lead to underprepared communities, exacerbating the impacts of these powerful storms. This project aims to understand how different types of precipitation, or rainfall, impact tropical cyclone maximum sustained wind speed. Precipitation is divided into four categories based on how fast the air is rising in clouds. Clouds that have faster rising air are called convection, with the tallest clouds called deep convection and the shallower clouds called moderate convection and shallow convection. The lightest precipitation is called stratiform rain and has the least amount of rising air. The type of precipitation can be identified based on its appearance on radar measurements. This project addresses how each type of precipitation influences the maximum sustained wind speed of the storm through their impact on storm structure. Since different types of precipitation can be identified on radar, this project may offer new insights into forecasting of tropical cyclone maximum sustained wind speed. In addition, this project will support undergraduate student research, an undergraduate mentorship program, a scholarship for a high achieving student, and outreach activities that will help communities susceptible to tropical cyclones understand and prepare for their impacts.