Hurricane researchers have launched a campaign to deploy marine robots into the center of raging storms. The extraordinary missions will help scientists understand how hurricanes swiftly build into gigantic storms with damaging winds and fatal flooding. Most recently, an innovative partnership between the U.S. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Saildrone, the firm that designs the unique sailing drones, launched a powerful robot into Hurricane Fiona, the violent tropical storm that flooded Puerto Rico and is now threatening Canada's east coast.
The Saildrone, 23 feet in length, encountered 50-foot tall waves and winds over 100 mph. The Saildrone machine met the purpose they were built for: to collect data in all sections of the storm, including the hurricane's eyewall, where the winds are believed to be the greatest. Saildrone's amazing film footage was published on the company's YouTube channel.
"We want to go straight through - we want to go through the eyewall," NOAA oceanographer Gregory Foltz exclaimed, who is working on the project, as he told Mashable last year.
The Saildrone: A Closer Perspective
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has published stunning footage taken inside a hurricane by a "Saildrone," a wind-powered and uncrewed boat developed by the same company. The daredevil watercraft has a "hurricane wing," which allows it to endure a beating and survive Hurricane Sam's 50-foot waves and winds of over 120 mph, shown in the frightening film, as reported by The Byte. The Saildrone reportedly gathered important information that scientists may use to analyze and predict hurricane movement and intensification. Storms are fueled by warm ocean waters that exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit. On the other hand, the Saildrones will support researchers in better understanding how oceans transmit energy and heat to storms.
In a statement, Foltz explained that the intensity of hurricane winds strengthens in a matter of hours, which can be a threat to the communities living beside the coasts.
Saildrone Explorer SD 1045 explored the insides of major Hurricane Sam in 2021. SD 1078 is a similar drone.
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Robotic Reporting
Storm researchers are especially interested in the factors that cause tropical storms to "rapidly strengthen," which means that a storm's winds increase by at least 35 mph in 24 hours. As Mashable initially reported, stronger storms mean more damaging winds and higher coastal storm surges for communities, which everyone should be aware of. The Saildrone fleet not only takes imagery and data during tropical depressions but also assists scientists in better understanding hurricanes and tropical storms before, during, and after they wreak havoc.
Saildrone CEO Richard Jenkins stated in a press release in August, "by combining in situ ocean data with a greater understanding of the ocean floor; we will be able to predict both storm intensity and storm surges," and to keep the coastal communities safe from those natural phenomena.
Unprecedented access to the heart of a hurricane was formerly reserved for hapless coastal and island residents or the storm-chasing set. Now, robots like Saildrone can film inside storms and help researchers comprehend these natural disasters a little better.
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