National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
United States Department of Commerce

KEO Mooring Survives Three Typhoons in One Month

satellite image of Typhoon Pabuk passing over the KEO mooring
October 30, 2013

The tropical cyclone Pabuk passed NOAA’s Kuroshio Extension Observatory (KEO) mooring on September 26, 2013, followed by Wipha on October 15th, and Francisco on October 26th. Measurements collected during Typhoon Pabuk will be compared with observations made during Typhoon Choi-Wan, which passed KEO on September 19, 2009.  Both Choi-Wan and Pabuk were transitioning to extratropical storms as they passed KEO, like Hurricane Sandy when it made landfall.

Wipha and Francisco passed north of KEO. Analysis of data from KEO during the passage of typhoons will contribute to better understanding and prediction of tropical cyclones worldwide.