STREX: Storm Transfer and Response Experiment

Summary

The main objectives of project Storm Transfer and Response Experiment (STREX) were to determine the physical process of the boundary layers of the atmosphere and ocean in mid-latitude storms and the interactions of the two boundary layers as well as with larger scale phenomena. The specific goals were to determine the distributions of the structures and major processes occurring in transfer of heat, momentum and water vapor in the boundary layer, the dominant scales at which vertical transfer occurs, relation of boundary layer processed to cloud structure and development and in the ocean boundary layer to examine the changes in sea surface temperature as well as the passage of storms. Observations were made in the vicinity of Ocean Station Papa as storms passed the station during a period of six weeks in the fall of 1980. From these data, a time series of significant features and processes were developed, and these were used to develop a model of the boundary layers in storms and parameterize vertical transports.