Developing a Platform for Visualizing Tropical Cyclone 3-Dimensional Profiles from Near-Real-Time Aircraft Flight Data

In an ongoing effort to expand spatio-temporal data coverage of tropical cyclones, several sensors are flown aboard National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Aircraft Operations Center (NOAA AOC) WP-3D aircraft. These sensors include the Imaging Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler (IWRAP) and the Ka-band Interferometric Radar Altimeter (KaIA). IWRAP measures 3-dimensional reflectivity and wind profiles through the hurricane boundary layer (HBL) to just above the surface with its dual C- and Ku-band doppler radar channels while the KaIA instrument measures surface significant wave height. IWRAP also measures the ocean surface wind vector utilizing scatterometry techniques. Measurements from both sensors provide valuable insight into tropical cyclone (TC) structure and the sea-state in TC environments, but presenting the data in a usable form fast enough to support operational decision making can be a challenge.

In support of the hurricane forecasting and analysis mission of the NHC, NOAA’s Ocean Surface Winds Team (OSWT) processes IWRAP and KaIA data measured from TC flights into imagery, in near real-time, for public dissemination online (https://manati.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/AircraftData.php). Data is processed and sent off the P-3 aircraft within a few minutes of each completed pass through the targeted storm. Images are created and subdivided into two categories: high resolution static files for low bandwidth use cases and interactive imagery, where users can use their cursors to view precise information at a given location. These interactive tools provide a unique look into the 3-dimensional TC structure that traditional static imagery cannot, allowing for an improved view of storm structure and development. Measurements from IWRAP are supplemented with co-located dropsonde, aircraft, and surface-referenced winds from the Stepped-Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SFMR) to provide a more complete view from aircraft to ground and everywhere in between. Development of the visualization tool for these TC images is an ongoing goal of the OSWT, where efforts to improve user experience and data presentation are the primary development goals. To demonstrate the web tool, examples of output imagery from the 2021 through 2023 Atlantic hurricane seasons will be presented.