Ocean drone, Saildrone, took a video inside a Category 4 hurricane as it floated about the Atlantic Ocean.
Ocean Drone Saildrone
The ocean drone that looks like a futuristic surfboard was equipped with cameras and took footage without any crew.
The Saildrone was developed by the company that carries the same name in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA, according to CNN Business.
Saildrone is a Silicon Valley startup that has already sent five of its vessels into extreme hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean.
The 23-feet long surfboard-looking orange vessel is equipped with a total of four cameras, which took the first-ever footage inside the hurricane.
Ocean Drone Captures Video Inside Category 4 Hurricane
What's more, the ocean drone was made to withstand and survive even the intense weather disturbances, such as Hurricane Sam.
It is worth noting that the hurricane that the ocean drone took footage of packed over 120 mph or 190 kph winds, along with 50-feet or 15 meter high waves, as seen in the video.
The video was able to capture the massive waves and brought by the high speed wind from the storm.
As per Phys.org, the Saildrone flaunts an impressive defense to high-powered hurricanes due to its "hurricane wing" that helps withstand the pressure of the fast winds.
Ocean Drones: What For?
That said, the indestructible ocean drone could further help scientists study the inner workings of hurricanes through actual footage.
The website of Saildrone further claimed that its ocean drone could measure and record multiple hurricane data, such as direction, wind speed, temperature, humidity, salinity, and even barometric pressure--among others.
One of the scientists from NOAA, Greg Foltz, said in a statement that one of the issues that they are observing by using the ocean drone is the "rapid intensification" of hurricane winds.
Foltz further noted that such a sudden increase in wind strength "is a serious threat to coastal communities."
For instance, Hurricane Ida intensified from being a Category 1 to Category 4 storm in less than a day, which destructed nearby coastal communities.
The NOAA scientist is hopeful that the data from the ocean drones will help them study this phenomenon furthermore.
It is worth noting that scientists have been repeatedly warned the public that climate change will result in a warmer ocean. Thus, producing more intensive and destructive hurricanes as time goes by, which have been a pressing problem for people who live near the coasts.
The CEO of Saildrone, Richard Jenkins, echoed the problem, adding that "oceans are really driving our global weather."
That said, the Saildrone exec further highlighted that it is important to deeply understand how the weather is changing to propel solutions in the future.
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Written by Teejay Boris
