An observational analysis of tropical cyclone vortex alignment using doppler radar
Mentor:
(Trey) George Alvey
Dr. George (Trey) Alvey’s research is currently focused on tropical cyclone intensification, particularly during the early stages of tropical cyclone development. This includes subtopics such as vortex scale dynamics and vortex alignment. Other current research projects involve process based studies using Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats (TROPICS) and modeling studies with the Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System (HAFS).
Format:
Remote/hybrid
Brief description:
The student will analyze a large archive of Doppler radar data from past tropical cyclones. The core mission is to identify the specific radar characteristics such as precipitation structures or wind patterns that distinguish storms that successfully "align" their low-level and mid-level circulations (a key step for rapid intensification) from those that remain tilted and weak. This project will provide a better understanding of hurricane dynamics and 3D storm structure while you develop valuable technical skills in radar interpretation and scientific programming (e.g., Python) for large-scale data analysis. Additionally, students with web-development experience will have a unique opportunity to collaborate with a graduate student to build an interactive, public-facing online portal to share this new dataset of radar imagery and storm information.
Preferably either some background & familiarity with computer programming (e.g., Python) and/or web(site) based development is desired.
