Subject: Tropical Cyclones Date: Sat, 8 Aug 1998 01:34:32 +0300 From: AG2 Booth <metoc2{at}cusnc.navy.mil> To: CASI Members <casilist{at}weatherwatchers.org> As we keep a vigilant eye on the central Atlantic Ocean, it is important to prepare for what may lay ahead in the near future. Don't let complacency set in as we analyze the charts each day. Although this has been a slow start to the hurricane season, it also offers us an opportunity to brush up on the skills required to analyze, track, and forecast these tropical systems. We can do this in many different ways. Perhaps a convenient way is to refer to past tropical systems in the Atlantic, their associated tracks, weather data and satellite imagery. Another way is to study current systems, not just in the Atlantic, but around the world. This gives us the chance to not only do a little forecasting, but also to get that real time experience that may prove helpful when dealing with systems near us. As we know, the western Pacific Ocean is much more active than the central Atlantic. Right now we have the chance to track a real tropical system (Tropical Cyclone Penny) off the east coast of Luzon in the Philippines. A lot can be learned. We can also brush up on satellite interpretation, atmospheric characteristics of a cyclone, how land interaction plays a role in storm intensification, and many other basic concepts to get us all ready for hurricane season. I have found that the tropical products at http://www.npmocw.navy.mil/npmocw/prods/jtwc.html are particularly useful. Studying current systems keeps us finely tuned and ready for the weeks to come. Thank you for your time. Comments are more than welcome. Respectfully, Brian Booth, AG2, U.S. Navy :) Part 1.2 Type: application/ms-tnef Encoding: base64 ---------------------------------------------------------------------