To the right, we see a satellite image of Hurricane Bonnie. Bonnie struck the North Carolina coast in August 1998, bringing wind, rain and valuable scientific information ashore.

Scientists flew a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) "Hurricane Hunter" aircraft into Hurricane Bonnie's path. Aboard the aircraft was a special piece of equipment called a scanning radar altimeter. This radar, which belongs to the National Air and Space Administration (NASA), is one of the most accurate ways to measure wave heights during storms.

Since Navy ships in open ocean waters are in danger during severe weather, scientists want to learn more about how storm waves are formed and how large they can be. For example, one wave in Hurricane Bonnie was measured to be more than 50 feet high and more than a mile in crest length! Crest length is the length of one individual wave if we started measuring at one end of the wave and followed the crest along until we reached the opposite end.

Using the scanning radar altimeter to obtain information from Hurricane Bonnie, scientists will be able to make better predictions about future storms. Such predictions will save the Navy money by warning them when it is necessary to move vessels clear of storm waters to avoid destruction.