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The purpose of the NOAA P3 aircrafts that fly into the hurricane are to collect data,
especially what we call in situ data, which is data that is in the storm. We have instruments
that are collecting information like pressure, temperature, relative humidity. But the other
reason that we fly is that we are also interested in research�so we�re collecting data that�s
going to improve the models, and one thing that�s very unique about the P3s that no
other aircraft in the world has, is the tail Doppler radar. We�re taking a CAT scan of
the storm, and its giving us information of how strong the convection is in the storm,
how deep those thunderstorms that collectively form the hurricane, how intense this hurricane
is brewing out in the tropics. So that information is vital to our computer models that improve
the track and forecast of these storms. Once the National Hurricane Center receives this
data, what they do is that they compile it with all the rest of the data that they have
including the data that they get from computer models. In the past, computer models had coarse
resolution so they couldn�t take advantage of the tail Doppler radar data that was being
sent. But nowadays with finer computer models, faster running CPUs, the data can be ingested,
and it can a full breadths of all the radar data, and thereby painting a picture of how
the hurricane�s behaving. There is no other aircraft or any outfit out there that flies
into storms that has this unique ability to collect radar information from the hurricane.
The Air Force is also in the business of flying but they do reconnaissance missions, but they
are not equipped with a tail Doppler radar like the P3s are. So that is what makes this
unique, that is what is vital to the computer models and helps us improve our understanding
of the hurricanes.