SEA-SURFACE TEMPERATURES IN THE WAKE OF HURRICANE BETSY (1965)

Abstract

Following the passage of hurricane Betsy (1965) through the Gulf of Mexico two flights were made five days apart aboard a research aircraft to collect sea-surface temperatures with an infrared radiometer. The purpose was to study the effects of a hurricane on the sea-surface temperatures field. Data from the first flight, which occurred one to two days after the hurricane passage, showed two cores of colder water to the right of the storm's track and very little structure to the left. The flight made five days later still showed a core of colder water to the right, but by this time its shape had been badly distorted by the surface current system. These results are compared with the findings of other investigators, and the value of real-time synoptic coverage with the use of aircraft is pointed out. The plan for an experiment utilizing aircraft and airborne oceanographic techniques to provide a 3-dimensional picture of the ocean temperature structure prior to and following a hurricane is also presented.