We’re ready for our talk now Jason: Argos learn about SAL.

How can you spend a week with three incredible students and the world’s top experts in hurricane research? Become a Teacher Argonaut for the JASON Project, that’s how! I’ve learned more about hurricanes in the last four days than in all my years of schooling, even as a science teacher. The most thrilling part for me has been watching how well the students and scientists work together.

 

We jumped right in on the first evening of our hurricane expedition and began our exploration of Saharan Air Layer (SAL) research with Jason Dunion. When Jason explained that the SAL a hot, dry, quick-moving layer of dust that blows west off of Africa can actually kill a hurricane, I nearly fell out of my chair. I mean, WOW, and to see the satellite images from the infrared sensors of the SAL was incredible. You could actually

Jason Dunion shows us the SAL using infrared sensors from a satellite.

see how the SAL interacted with the storms, not to mention that the images also showed just how far SAL can travel: over 3,000 miles. Jason walked us through the “ingredients” needed to make a hurricane on our second day with him.  He and the students also walked through all of the different data collection pieces needed to make a good forecast. I was so glad we got a chance to work with Jason again, because he was supposed to be in a hurricane hunter aircraft on his way into a tropical wave for more SAL studies. The SAL actually killed off that storm, and we were able to learn even more about why that happens from him.

 

We got to meet Michael Black on our third day of working with the host researchers, and he told us all about the flight plan and path of the P-3 hurricane hunter aircraft. Little did I know that I was in for another "WOW," chair-tilting moment! His current research focuses on

Shirley Murillo explains “old school” temperature readings to Lauren, Cassandra, and Matthew.

the eyewall of a hurricane and the emergence of tornado-like structures called meso-cyclones. I thought, “You’ve got to be kidding! Tornadoes in a hurricane! No way!” The ohhhhssss and ahhhhhhs from Matthew, Cassandra, and Lauren confirmed my amazement. It didn’t take the brilliant minds next to me long to come up with a fantastic series of questions for Michael. He used computer models and photographs to explain what he studies and I know the visuals helped us get our heads around it.

 

Later in the day, Michael walked us all through the process of forecasting storms, just like meteorologists do. The students were totally engaged and right-on in their forecasting of a tropical disturbance. Just minutes after our analysis was complete the National Hurricane Center broadcasted an identical forecast. I sat back with a huge grin on my face, so proud of Matthew, Lauren, and Cassandra, I could barely sit still!

 

Jason Dunion and the Argos go through a daily Map Session together.

Our fourth day proved to be an exciting day out in the field. We worked with Shirley Murillo, hurricane wind researcher. She was down-to-earth and really gave the students a good picture of what it’s like to be a woman in the field of science. She shared her enthusiasm with all of us and I was so excited by her enthusiasm for her profession that I wanted to go back to college and become a meteorologist! I know the students felt the same way.

 

The students’ amazement and enthusiasm for hurricanes was infectious. I was delighted to hear, “I agree with your analysis” from Michael Black, a Hurricane Hunter P-3 Mission Scientist of 21 years, in response to Lauren and Matthew’s analysis of a tropical disturbance during a data analysis session. Often times I heard Shirley Murillo, surface winds expert, and Jason Dunion, SAL expert say “That’s a great question. We don’t know the answer to that one yet. We need you all to become scientists and help us figure that out,” in response to questions presented by all three Argos.

Cassandra and I with a dropsonde instrument. These tools are crucial to successful study of hurricanes and travel with our host researchers aboard the Hurricane Hunter Planes.

 

I was constantly impressed with how thoughtful the Argo questions were and doubly impressed with how well the scientists worked with them. All three NOAA host researchers were fantastic teachers and I learned so much from watching them engage and actively guide the Argos through the intricacies of hurricane research. As a teacher, it was so great to observe those real connections to science and science instruction. I can’t wait to take back all of the research I learned about and the experiences I’ve had with JASON and NOAA to my students. I’m most excited to share with them all of the possibilities that await them as scientists in the future. For instance, they can go into forensic meteorology or specialize in meso-cyclones. There are still so many questions that need to be answered. The future of meteorology will be heavily laden with technology but will always need that human aspect. That human passion for their fields of study is what drives our host researchers to explore new ground and make new discoveries. That’s great science.

 

The students and I spent our last day in Miami snorkeling over a shipwreck from the 1700s. It was so incredible to float above knowing that the canons we were looking at sank in a hurricane in 1715. Yet another WOW! moment for me. We started our JASON Argonaut experience with Argonaut Boot Camp examining shipwrecks and monster storms on the shores of Lake Michigan. Today we came full circle by snorkeling around a sunken Spanish Galleon. This experience brought all of our research together just like the eye of a Class 5 hurricane. Thank you NOAA and JASON for giving me this amazing opportunity.

 

Shirley Murillo shares her wind dial data with us. Miami skyline frames us from behind. We took wind direction and speed, ambient temperature and dew point throughout the city.	The P-3 is NOAA’s workhorse for hurricane research. It flies at 10,000 feet right through the eye of the storm….more than once!  (This is the first slide of Michael Black’s powerpoint presentation.)
Here we are in front of the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratories (AOML) building.	We explored a sunken Spanish Galleon that was destroyed in a hurricane in the year 1715.