Researchers at LSU’s Earth Scan Laboratory are looking at the effect of cool water upwellings on the intensity of hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico.Upwellings occur naturally and bring cold water and nutrients to the surface. Research indicates that they may also “provide temperatures cold enough to reduce the intensity of large Gulf of Mexico hurricanes,” according to Nan Walker, ESL director.The lab began research on the phenomena of upwellings after Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Clear skies allowed researches to observe ocean temperatures directly after the storm’s passing. Large areas of unusually cold water across the hurricane’s path suggested that cool surface temperature may provide immediate negative feedback to Gulf hurricanes. Since hurricanes are essentially powered by heat, taking away their source of energy greatly reduces their intensity.Walker said the lab’s research, in collaboration with Robert Leben at the University of Colorado, is providing a monitoring system of oceanic conditions. The lab, however, is not intended to predict the path or intensity of a hurricane, although it can offer information to organizations such as the National Hurricane Center to help them create better trajectories.
——Contact Olga Kourilova at [email protected]