Mesoscale modeling investigation of air-sea interactions over the Gulf of Mexico for a case study of Hurricane Gordon

Under the NASA/FAR Program, a study has been established to investigate air-sea interactions associated with the formation and development of Hurricane Gordon in the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane Gordon was a Category 1 storm, which formed in the Gulf of Mexico on September 17th, 2000. We are using the Penn State/NCAR MM5 (version 3) modeling system for diagnostic studies of surface fluxes (sensible heat, latent heat, and momentum) over the Gulf of Mexico relevant to the air-sea interactions in the vicinity of this intense hurricane. The MM5 configuration features two nested domains over the Gulf of Mexico; with horizontal grid spacing of 90 km and 30 km. Nesting between the grids is two ways. Physics options selected include: non-hydrostatic; Grell cumulus parameterization on 90 km grid; explicit microphysics (Reisner) on 30 km grid; modified Mellor-Yamada boundary layer parameterization; and a cloud-resolving radiation scheme. Gridded analysis and rawinsonde data from NCAR were used to construct initial and boundary condition files. The model results will be discussed, along with relation to other theoretical and modeling studies of air-sea interactions in hurricane environments. Potential links between the model surface fluxes and precipitation at landfall will be considered.