We rely on hurricane categories to gauge risk, but what if the scale is leaving out the biggest dangers? Jennifer Collins, a hurricane researcher and professor in USF’s School of Geosciences, coauthored a new research paper proposing a more comprehensive approach. The current Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale measures a storm’s strength only by wind, yet wind is responsible for just 8% of hurricane-related fatalities. In contrast, storm surge accounts for 49% and rainfall flooding for 27%.
Collins and her coauthors argue that the scale should also reflect the risks from storm surge and flooding. The team plans to present their research to the National Hurricane Center and the full report is available online. Click here for more.
Kudos to spARK Labs by ARK Invest! The space at ARK Innovation Center has officially reached full office capacity, hosting 45 innovative companies in its membership-based incubator.
A new tool may have helped prevent the overfishing of Gulf gag grouper. Challen Hyman and his colleagues created a statistical model that factors in how anglers actually behave when regulations change.
The Underwater Glider User Group Workshop will be held in St. Petersburg May 18-20 on the USFSP campus