Tiny droplets of sea spray generated at the ocean surface can affect the intensity and evolution of hurricanes and other tropical storms. At The University of Texas at Dallas, researchers are studying sea spray, particularly spume, or foam, droplets, in the lab to develop a model based on machine learning to improve hurricane forecasting. The model incorporates the effects of the spray generation function, which quantifies the rate at which droplets form. Yousefi and his team of researchers are using simulations and lab experiments involving a new wind-wave research tunnel. The researchers use high-speed shadowgraph imaging, a technique involving a high-speed camera to record the motion, size and shape of objects, such as the size and velocity of spume droplets.