Low-layer features of two limited-area hurricane regimes

In multilevel, low-layer aircraft investigations of 1975 Hurricanes Caroline and Eloise straight horizontal legs paralleling the mean wind were flown at various heights between 85 and 1215 m above the sea surface and for lengths varying between 9.5 and 15 km. Mean vertical profiles for both storms show that in the lowest layers, potential temperature and specific humidity varied little with height or not at all. In both storms the lowest layers were capped by a nearly isothermal layer.