The Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) is the first of the new generation of NASA Earth Venture missions. It consists of a constellation of eight satellites that has been operating in low inclination (tropical) Earth orbit since December 2016. Each satellite carries a four-channel bi-static radar receiver that measures GPS signals scattered by the Earth surface. Over ocean, surface roughness, near surface wind speed and air-sea heat flux are estimated. Over land, near surface soil moisture and flood inundation are estimated. The measurements are unique in several respects, most notably in their ability to penetrate through all levels of precipitation, made possible by the low frequency at which GPS operates, and in the frequent sampling of extreme weather and complete sampling of the diurnal cycle, made possible by the large number of satellites.

Level 2 science data products are produced for near surface (10 m referenced) ocean wind speed, ocean surface roughness (mean square slope) and surface sensible and latent heat flux. Level 3 gridded versions of the L2 products are available. A set of Level 4 products are also in development for direct tropical cyclone overpasses. These include the storm intensity (peak sustained winds) and size (radius of maximum winds), its extent (34, 50 and 64 knot wind radii), and its integrated kinetic energy. The use of CYGNSS wind speed products to improve hurricane numerical weather predictions is also under investigation.  Over land, Level 2 soil moisture and flood inundation extent algorithms are in development.

We expect the oral and poster presentations in this session to include some or all of the following topics:

• Mission overview and status update
• Assessments of science data product quality
• Results of scientific investigations using CYGNSS data products, including:
  • Tropical cyclones
  • Tropical convection and convectively coupled waves
  • Air-sea interaction
  • Soil moisture
  • Flood inundation