Multi-satellite tropical cyclone structure (SSM/I & TMI)

A large multi-satellite data set incorporating passive microwave data will be used to demonstrate the capabilities to map tropical cyclone structure. Passive microwave data permits views beneath most upper-level cirrus clouds since their ice crystals are typically too small to impact the 85 GHz brightness temperatures. However, the larger ice particles associated with intense convection in the rainbands and eyewall are readily mapped against the warm ocean background.

The detailed evolution of tropical cyclone structure can be observed when using a time series of SSM/I and TMI data. These key data sets can be used to; a) locate centers difficult to find in visible/IR images, b) detect closed circulations and eyes before visible/IR images, c) map out concentric eyewall cycles rarely seen in visible/IR images, but verified with airborne/land radar. Advantages and limitations will be demonstrated with select case studies that were processed in near real-time as well as reprocessed with enhanced software.