| In September 1998 Hurricane Earl made landfall along the Gulf coast east of Panama City, FL. The University of Alabama in Huntsville Mobile Integrated Profiling System (MIPS), which was located in Tallahassee, FL, obtained measurements of Earl with a 915 MHz Doppler wind profiler as the system moved across the Florida panhandle. Atmospheric conditions were favorable for the generation and maintenance of gravity waves as Hurricane Earl made landfall. A very strong updraft of 13 m s-1 associated with a gravity wave within the lowest 3.0 km above ground level, was observed by MIPS. This is much greater than vertical velocities observed with gravity waves in previous studies. However, the surface pressure variation associated with the gravity wave was slightly less than reported with gravity waves in previous studies. Also the strongest surface wind speed occurred as the gravity passed. The first detailed measurements of a boundary layer gravity wave associated with a landfalling hurricane are presented. |
