Cohort Level: Cohort - III

Career Goal: A lucrative career in atmospheric science, where I am able to study atmospheric changes both long and short term and visualize how these changes can/will affect our environment on a whole, while providing usable and useful information to government and stakeholders in an effort to increase global sustainability.

Expected Graduation Date: December 23, 2021

Degree: M.S Earth & Atmospheric Science

Research Title: Effects of Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs) on Tropical Storm Activity in the North Atlantic

Research Synopsis: Warming sea-surface temperatures are one of many ways that climate changes are being experienced across the globe. However, this warming effect is occurring more rapidly in certain regions versus others, such as the Caribbean. Warming sea-surface temperatures in this region have many implications for extreme weather events, not only for those that reside within this region but for neighboring countries as well. Within recent years, the Caribbean and U.S. has been hit with several intense hurricanes that may be a result of recent warming sea-surface temperatures. This study aims to investigate the effects of rising sea-surface temperatures on tropical storm activity in order to identify whether there is a correlation with frequency and/or intensity of these tropical storms. Understanding the role SSTs play in the occurrence of tropical storms is important for coastal communities’ efforts for environmental hazard mitigation. SSTs in the Tropical North Atlantic, (TNA) the region extending from the eastern coast of North America to the western coast of Africa, are analyzed over time during the active hurricane season months from August through November. Initially, the time of interest begins from 1982 – 2019, to utilize observation data, versus reanalysis data, available from the NOAA’s Optimum Interpolated Sea-Surface Temperature (OISST) dataset. Trend analysis and correlations will be calculated to observe the degree of changes in the TNA over this period.

Warming sea-surface temperatures are one of many ways that climate changes are being experienced across the globe. However, this warming effect is occurring more rapidly in certain regions versus others, such as the Caribbean. Warming sea-surface temperatures in this region have many implications for extreme weather events, not only for those that reside within this region but for neighboring countries as well. Within recent years, the Caribbean and U.S. has been hit with several intense hurricanes that may be a result of recent warming sea-surface temperatures. This study aims to investigate the effects of rising sea-surface temperatures on tropical storm activity in order to identify whether there is a correlation with frequency and/or intensity of these tropical storms. Understanding the role SSTs play in the occurrence of tropical storms is important for coastal communities’ efforts for environmental hazard mitigation. SSTs in the Tropical North Atlantic, (TNA) the region extending from the eastern coast of North America to the western coast of Africa, are analyzed over time during the active hurricane season months from August through November. Initially, the time of interest begins from 1982 – 2019, to utilize observation data, versus reanalysis data, available from the NOAA’s Optimum Interpolated Sea-Surface Temperature (OISST) dataset. Trend analysis and correlations will be calculated to observe the degree of changes in the TNA over this period.