Abstract
Low and high cloud motions derived from ATS-III satellite pictures, wind data from surface ships, vertical temperature profiles through the upper layer of the ocean, and sea-surface temperatures were used to examine intensity variations of Hurricane Celia.
Fields of radial and tangential wind components, absolute angular momentum flux, and absolute vorticity were computed from analyzed streamlines and isotachs. Radial and tangential velocities and absolute angular momentum flux were averaged around circles of several radii from the storm center. Average values of relative vorticity and divergence within these circular areas were also computed.
High-cloud motion computations were successful in identifying the intensification process in the outflow layer. The low-cloud motions, unfortunately, were not representative of the storm inflow layer.
An investigation of dynamic instability at the outflow level was made. The results did not indicate strongly that dynamic instability contributed to the intensification of the storm.
Final deepening followed a major change in direction of the surface inflow over warm shelf waters of shallow depths.
