UM’s Jun Zhang has sent drones into some of the most dangerous storms of the past decade to help forecasters and gather data to improve future storm models. The drones, which are deployed from NOAA aircraft, fly into the heart of a hurricane to record wind, temperature, and pressure changes, augmenting data gathered by the plane’s onboard instruments.

“The drones can fly at incredibly low altitudes—that boundary layer in hurricanes down to about 200 meters above the surface of the ocean where heat and moisture provide the energy that powers storms,” Zhang said. “And it’s that critical boundary layer we need to learn more about as it is involved in the rapid intensification of storms.” 

• Jun Zhang