(Washington) Scientists have been able to record video of the breaking waves inside a Category 4 hurricane using a floating robot, for the first time.
The vehicle faced the forces of the hurricane Sam, in the Atlantic Ocean, with waves 15 meters high and winds over 190 km/h.
The images show a darkened sky and waves violently swaying the object – a type of orange surfboard developed by Saildrone.
This “drone” transmits its data directly to the US Oceanic and Atmospheric Monitoring Agency (NOAA).
Target ? They help to understand the physical processes at work, in order to better predict these extreme weather events, and thus better prepare for them.
The robot “goes where no research vessel has ventured, navigates the heart of the eye of a hurricane, and collects data that will change our understanding of these powerful storms,” Richard Jenkins, founder and CEO of Saildrone, said in a statement. .
Hurricanes have been photographed from the inside in the past, but from the air, for example from aircraft.
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