Air-deployed wave buoys for hurricane forecast improvements

Team Members

APL - UW

• Jim Thomson
• Jacob Davis

Sofar Ocean

• Pieter Smit
• Isabel Houghton
• Tim Janssen

NOAA PSL

• Elizabeth Thompson
• Chris Fairall

U. Colorado / NOAA PSL

• Gijs de Boer

Team Objectives

Provide real-time observations of hurricane waves and wave forcing that can be ingested by modeling groups through an API to improve forecasts and validate hindcasts. Specifically:

• Deploy arrays of Spotter wave buoys from C-130 aircraft 12-48 hours ahead of hurricanes.
• Deploy arrays of Air-Deployable Micro Buoys (ADMB) and micro-SWIFT buoys from aircraft during hurricanes, as part of existing operations.
• Use Sofar’s API to immediately deliver wave buoy data to operational centers.
• Describe the wave field surrounding hurricanes.
• Compare buoy observations to NOAA WP3D aircraft estimates (WSRA, SFMR).
• Optimize buoy array design for assimilation.

Newest Updates

December 10, 2025

NHCI Presentation Citations A full repository of presentations by NHCI team members.

November 12, 2024

StoryMap: Hurricane coastal impacts A StoryMap describing key aspects of the NHCI project and how they contribute to advancing scientists' ability to predict storm impacts.

October 21, 2024

Wave buoy arrays deployed for Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton The NOPP Hurricane Coastal Impacts 3A teams successfully deployed over 60 wave buoys in rapid response to Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.