More Tropical Cyclone Analysis using Microwave Imagery and Data

This paper provides additional insight into various methods and techniques of using satellite-based microwave imagery and data when analyzing tropical cyclone intensities and positions in near real-time. With the loss of the QuikSCAT scatterometer and more recently, the AMSR-E microwave imager, forecasters are in the need of more reliable techniques more than ever. Although many of these techniques have been available for many years, forecasters still seem reluctant to use them without more substantial proof of their reliability. This paper hopes to show some more comparisons with evidence from recent simultaneous aircraft reconnaissance data and other near real-time measurements. In addition, the use of the newly released data from the Oceansat-2 scatterometer will be shown in comparison and in conjunction with the data from the ASCAT and WindSAT ocean surface vector wind data.