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USGS Scientist Studies Causes of Anomalous U.S. Hurricane Landfall Count in 2004 By Jennifer Leigh Oates February 2005 [revised April 2005] in this issue:  previous story | next story Above: The tracks of Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Jeanne across central Florida. Lines represent tracks, and point symbols represent eye positions as reported by the National Hurricane Center (of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service). [larger version] A U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientist at the Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies in St. Petersburg, FL, has examined climate features likely to have influenced this year's record number of U.S. hurricane landfalls. In an article published as the cover story in the December 14, 2004, issue of Eos (American Geophysical Union Transactions, v. 85, no. 50), Brian Bossak, a USGS Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow, concluded that overall North Atlantic tropical cyclone activity in 2004 was not excessively high. He found that multiple climate features were juxtaposed in such a way as to encourage both hurricane intensification and a track bringing hurricanes ashore south of the North Carolina State line. The state of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Atlantic sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) supported an active season in terms of the formation of North Atlantic tropical cyclones. In particular, a climate feature known as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) was implicated in influencing the position of the Bermuda High Pressure system, thereby steering hurricanes on a more southerly track toward the Southeastern United States instead of a track curving out to sea, as has been the case in the past several years. Furthermore, climate features affecting vertical wind shear over tropical regions were favorable for hurricane intensification, explaining the abnormal number of major hurricanes that made landfall in 2004. Bossak is currently completing work on his pilot project at the USGS, the Coastal Impact Assessment Tool (CIAT), and conducting a statistical verification of observed climate influences on U.S. hurricanes. The article that Brian sent to Eos, entitled "'X'" Marks the Spot: Florida, the 2004 Hurricane Bull's-Eye," can be downloaded as a PDF from URL http://soundwaves.er.usgs.gov/2005/04/outreach3.html. USGS Scientists Gather Images and Information About Recent Hurricanes October 2004 USGS Maps and Data Show Why the Gulf of Mexico's Eroding Shoreline is Vulnerable to Hurricanes October 2004 Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow Joins the USGS in St. Petersburg, FL February 2004 Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies News U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hurricane and Extreme Storm Impact Studies U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) American Geophysical Union (AGU) non-profit scientific organization in this issue:  previous story | next story

February 2005 Mailing List: Sign up to receive monthly email updates: print this issue in this issue: cover story: Tsunami Deposits Mapping the San Pedro Shelf Nearshore Impacts of Dam Removal Pulley Ridge Deepest Known US Coral Reef Raising Crane Climate Features Influenced 2004 Hurricane Landfall Count USGS Employees Donate Toys Carl Goodwin Honored at National Ecosystem Conference Oceanographer Joins Western Coastal & Marine Geology Team Blood Donor Netherlands Students Contribute to USGS Studies Florida Integrated Science Center, Gainesville, FL NMFS Employees Visit CCWS February Publications List

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