2025 JPSS VSF Top Projects
HIGH SCHOOL 1st Place
Title: Jet Interactions With Recent Hurricanes
Carsten Drury, Maxwell Eggleton, Benjamin Gurch, Max Meyer from Decatur High School & Decatur, Georgia
Abstract: Hurricanes of the recent past have had certain variables that led to different impacts for certain areas and one of those variables can be the strength of a jet stream and a cut off low. Two storms in recent times that have been influenced by the jet stream were Hurricane Helene last year and Hurricane Isaias this year. What is notable about Helen and Isaias though is they caused widespread flooding across areas over the Eastern US. The jet led to moisture being advected far north way past the center of the hurricanes. With the high pressure system off to the east and cut off low or trough off the west caused a corridor of heavy rainfall with both storms along certain areas of the Eastern US.
YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj_JB2H4b-Q
Honorable Mention
Title: Bomb Cyclone Hits The Pacific Northwest in November 2024Srivishnu Sugumaran, Krishna Subramanyan Skyline High School, Sammamish, WA, 98075
Coach: Coach: Shankar Subramaniam
Abstract: On November 19th, 2024, the Pacific Northwest was hit by a mid-latitude cyclone. It was a powerful cyclone, and the most devastating impacts were caused by the storm’s strong winds. Wind gusts reached about 60 miles per hour in several locations which led to the deaths of two people and left 650,000 people without power. In locations 20-30 miles east of downtown Seattle, power was restored six days after the event.
This cyclone was known as a Bomb Cyclone, which is when a cyclone’s pressure drops at least 24mB in 24 hours. This rapid intensification process is known as bombogenesis. Bombogenesis is an extreme form of cyclogenesis, a term that is commonly used when describing the strengthening of cyclones. Bombogenesis occurs when there is a temperature gradient between a cold air mass and a warm air mass. As warm air rises over cold air, it results in instability in the atmosphere. The rising air causes surface pressure to drop rapidly.
In this project, satellite imagery will aid in providing sea surface temperatures augmented with MIRS imagery to monitor the warm air masses and VIIRS True Color to illustrate the storm’s development. The imagery, including sea surface temperatures, will help in weather forecasting and enable meteorologists to use real-time data to predict when bombogenesis may occur.
Middle School First Place
Title: Ocean Acidification
Coppell Middle School North, Coppell, Texas
Abstract: Ocean Acidification is a problem that has been arising all over the world. Coral reefs have been getting affected the most by the PH level and the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.Ocean acidification over an extended time makes it harder for the fishes that use coral as their home and birthing place since the coral is dying. Also, when coral reefs get too hot they release the algae that live within their cells and the coral provide the algae with nutrients to thrive. Due to this coral bleaching occurs, causing the coral to turn white and lose their vibrant colors. There are many ways that scientists are combating ocean acidification, some of them being carbon dioxide removal , building climate resilient coral cities and genetically modifying coral. VIIRS data can be used to identify coral reefs in danger by monitoring coral sea temperatures and using carbon dioxide measurements. Coral reefs are taking major effect from ocean acidification and without coral reefs, many species and food webs will die out.
