Hurricane reanalysis using Hurricane Satellite (HURSAT) data

Given the recent hypotheses relating long-term trends in tropical cyclone (TC) activity and global warming, there is a growing need for consistent reanalyses of the historical TC data. The hurricane satellite (HURSAT) data set provides a basis for consistent analysis. However, the initial HURSAT data was based on geostationary data with a spatial resolution of about 8 km. The eyes of intense tropical cyclones can be small enough such that this resolution is not sufficient to resolve them. Therefore, HURSAT-AVHRR data was developed using the 4 km resolution of the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer. This new data set covers 1981 to present and will be used to objectively estimate storm intensity.