AIR-SEA MEASURMENTS FROM
MOORED SURFACE BUOYS DURING THE
2010 PACIFIC TYPHOON SEASON
Henry Potter, Tripp Collins, William M. Drennan, Rafael J. Ramos, Neil J.
Williams, and Hans C. Graber.
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker
Causeway, Miami, FL 33149
As part of the Impact of Typhoons on the Ocean in the Pacific (ITOP) campaign, two pairs of surface
buoys were deployed in the Philippine Sea during the 2010 typhoon season. Each pairing consisted of an
Air-Sea Interaction Spar (ASIS) buoy tethered to an Extreme Air-Sea Interaction (EASI) buoy, which was
moored to the seabed. ASIS primarily collected wave data while EASI served as a platform for
meteorological and oceanographic instruments including multiple wind, temperature, and relative
humidity sensors, open and closed path CO2/H2O gas analyzers, and aerosol spectrometers. A belowsurface array of independent sensors also recorded temperatures within the upper 200m of the water
column. Exposure to typhoons Dianmu, Fanapi, Megi, and Chaba, subjected the moorings to wind speeds
over 30m/s and significant wave heights over 10m, whereby attaining a unique collection of
environmental data. Upper ocean and lower atmosphere response to passage of these typhoons will be
discussed. Particular attention will be given to ocean temperature and wave spectra. The effect of wind
speed on the drag coefficient will also be presented.