Scientists are turning to the aid of saildrones to help improve storm forecasts in the Atlantic. Often described as robotic surfboards, these devices are best thought of as drones specially designed to handle the wind conditions within hurricanes, and report back on the conditions which can affect storm formation and strength, allowing those at the NOAA to better predict the threats posed, according to USA Today.
Guided by operators working with the NOAA, these saildrones will be steered into areas where storms are developing, in partnership with underwater gliders, to get a better picture of conditions in the upper ocean and at the water’s surface. Data from recent years has already confirmed these saildrones provide information consistent with that from buoys and satellites, giving confidence in the quality of results reported back, and allowing for rapid updates of storm forecasts and projections.
Says John Cortinas, director of the NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, of the importance of these systems, to USA Today, “Storms that intensify rapidly can cause extensive damage and loss of life. Real-time observing systems are crucial to better understand the atmospheric and oceanic processes that lead to the formation and intensification of these hurricanes.”
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