Life after QuikSCAT-Tropical cyclone analysis using microwave imagery and data

This paper discusses the available microwave imagery and data currently used for near real-time tropical cyclone analysis and how methods may have changed with the loss of the QuikSCAT instrument. Estimated winds from the QuikSCAT instrument have been one of the mainstays for tropical ocean surface analysis for the past 10 years, covering more than 90% of the tropical oceans in a 24 hour period. Since their loss, forecasters have had to rely more on the remaining scatterometer instruments such as ASCAT and ERS-2 (with less coverage and more limited speed and directional capabilities) and to use more integrated techniques, developed with the aid of the QuikSCAT data, in order to more thoroughly make use of these data in conjunction with the many other satellite-borne microwave imagers that are still producing valuable data. Basic analysis techniques are shown for examining tropical cyclone genesis, intensification and surface wind structure, and comparison with and without QuikSCAT are discussed. Although the loss of the QuikSCAT satellite has been a great disappointment to tropical cyclone forecasters, we are still fortunate to have learned so much with QuikSCAT and it has helped us better understand and make use of the remaining microwave imagers.