Improving Tropical Cyclone Intensity Estimates through the Use of Microwave Imagery

The Dvorak technique was originally developed between 1969 and 1984 exclusively using infrared geostationary data. This technique is still utilized today by most tropical cyclone analysts, which speaks to the strengths of the technique; however, with new satellite sensors and increasing amounts of imagery, reevaluation is merited. Passive microwave sensors onboard polar-orbiting satellites offer a unique insight into the structure of tropical cyclones. In addition to the obvious improvement in tropical cyclone position, the microwave data serves to illuminate the analyst's selection of scene type which can result in better estimates of intensity.