cause satellites, which can accurately detect and locate storms, are less successful at determining the storm's destructive power and wind speeds. To improve hurricane assessment, MIT Sea Grant researcher Nicholas Makris is developing methods that will provide critical storm data. Based on the fact that underwater sound waves can provide useful information for hundreds of miles, Makris's project examines whether hydrophones deployed on the ocean floor can gather acoustic data to better predict hurricanes. Single hydrophones, placed strategically under the ocean, could record the sound associated with high winds and then provide accurate information about the hurricane's power.

The research includes both modeling and at-sea experiments using hydrophones. First, Makris and his team developed a model for application in high- risk parts of the world, like the Bay of Bengal. They will also collect existing underwater acoustic data from the U.S. Navy's SOSUS underwater listening stations to see if that data can acoustically track and classify hurricanes. Finally, the team will deploy an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) during a hurricane to take measurements of its own. The AUV would travel to the bottom of the ocean, beneath the hurricane, and take various single-point measurements of the noise level. Since the intensity of underwater noise grows with wind speed, they could use this information to find the storm's power. It's important to know ambient noise levels first, and Makris and his team will begin by finding these levels in local waters. The collection of information should indicate whether using underwater acoustic sensing techniques is a reliable, inexpensive method for predicting hurricane strength.

CONTACT: Nicholas Makris, MIT Sea Grant Researcher, Associate Professor, Department of Ocean Engineering, MIT, (O) 617-253-3708, Email: makris@mit.edu

TSUNAMI FORECASTING PROTECTS HAWA
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Contact: Ben Sherman
sherman@nasw.org
202-662-7095
National Sea Grant College Program
8-Jul-2002

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