1. D1 D2 D3 D4
Figure 2 Initial sea-surface temperature (SST, color) and ocean heat content (OHC, contour) fields for the coupled model simulation of Hurricane Frances at 0000 UTC 27 Aug SST data is from the TRMM TMI/AMSR-E combined data and OHC is calculated from the observed SST and climatology ocean temperature data. The white boxes indicate the nested MM5 model domains. The observed path of Frances (0000 UTC 27 Aug-5 Sep 2004) from the NHC best track is overlaid.

3. (Hurricane intensity)
Max Surface Wind
Min Sea-Level Pressure

5. Animation of the coupled model simulated SST and ocean surface current in Hurricane Frances (2004).

6. day 250
EM-APEX
1634
1633
1636
Floats Obs
Satellite Obs
Coupled Model

7. Obs
Coupled model

8. Total Surface Heat Flux
Uncoupled
Coupled Atmos-Wave-Ocean
Observed from GPS Dropsondes
Observed from
airborne turbulence probes (Zhang&
Drennan)
Model simulated and observed surface sensible+latent fluxes. The coupled model not only improved the flux values
But also the observed asymmetry.