Satellite-based Tropical Cyclone Monitoring Capabilities

Satellite remote sensing capabilities to monitor tropical cyclone (TC) location, structure, and intensity have evolved by utilizing a combination of operational and research and development (R&D) microwave sensors. Microwave imagers fill a crucial niche due to their ability to view through upper-level clouds and thus view critical rainband, eyewall, and inner-core structure that are highly correlated with storm intensity. The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program [Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) and the Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder (SSMIS)] form the suite of operational microwave imagers. These near real-time data sets have been greatly augmented by multiple research sensors, including the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) microwave imager (TMI) and the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) that have provided superior spatial resolutions and enhanced temporal sampling needed to capture events such as rapid intensification (30 kt increase over 24 hours).

Passive microwave imagery has received a much needed boost with the launch of the Japanese GCOM-W1 AMSR-2 (follow on to AMSR-E). The sensor is performing well and near real-time data are now online and providing valuable products. The 2014 launch of the NASA Global Precipitation Mission (GPM) will provide enhanced capabilities for both TC monitoring and precipitation based studies. Also, access to the NPP ATMS microwave sounder data is assisting in mapping TC convective structures. Examples highlighting the AMSR-2 and ATMS capabilities will be intercompared with existing sensors.

The Day Night Band (DNB) on the National Polar orbiting Partnership (NPP) VIIRS sensor has unique capabilities that can be exploited to monitor TC cloud structure at night when sufficient lunar illumination exits. Efforts to utilize DNB-derived cloud reflectances and fuse with coincident multi-channel IR will be demonstrated to extract night time storm structure not feasible with the either the heritage DMSP OLS night time visible data nor coincident geostationary IR digital data.