WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (UPI) -- NASA scientists are using newly developed scanning radar to measure changing hurricane wave heights to better understand Earth's dynamic climate.
Aside from frightening winds and torrential rains, hurricanes can also create enormous ocean waves.
Researchers used the NASA Scanning Radar Altimeter while flying through many hurricanes from 1998-2005 to measure details of wave behavior.
The SRA measures waves by sweeping a radar beam across the ocean and measuring the distance to the sea at many points. Those distances are subtracted from the aircraft altitude to produce a sea-surface elevation map that is displayed on a monitor in the aircraft. The data help researchers develop and improve ocean wave computer models.
Scientists say an operational SRA, being built to replace the NASA prototype, promises to provide additional insight into hurricane behavior.
NASA said such research is increasingly important as areas become more prone to higher storm surges as natural defenses, such as barrier islands and wetlands, disappear.
