Biswas, Sayak

Black, Peter

Buckley, Courtney

James, Mark

Jones, W. Linwood

May, Cathy

Miller, Timothy

Roberts, J. Brent

Ruf, Christopher S.

Uhlhorn, Eric

NASA Technical Reports Server

W. Linwood Jones, Sayak Biswas, and 
Cathy May 
Central Florida Remote Sensing 
Laboratory 
University of Central Florida 
Christopher S. Ruf# 
Space Physics Research Laboratory,  
AOSS Dept., University of Michigan 
#Presenting Author 
cruf@umich.edu 
Observations Of C-Band Brightness Temperature And Ocean Surface Wind Speed And Rain Rate In 
Hurricanes Earl And Karl (2010)  
HIRAD Physical Principles   HIRAD Technology Investment Roadmap Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRAD) 
Earl Flight 1-2 Sept 2010 
Timothy Miller*, Mark James, J. Brent Roberts, and 
Courtney Buckley 
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center 
*Corresponding Author 
Tim.Miller@nasa.gov 
Eric Uhlhorn 
Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological 
 Laboratory  (AOML) 
 
Peter Black 
SAIC, Inc at NRL/  
Marine Meteorology Division 
  ~ 70 Km 
HIRAD utilizes NASA Instrument 
Incubator Technology: 
•  Provides unique observations of 
sea surface wind, temp and rain 
•  Advances understanding & 
prediction of hurricane intensity 
•  Expands Stepped Frequency 
Microwave Radiometer 
capabilities 
•  Uses synthetic thinned array 
and RFI mitigation technology of 
Lightweight Rain Radiometer 
(NASA Instrument Incubator)  
Passive	  Microwave	  C-­‐Band	  Radiometer	  	  
withFreq:	  4,	  5,	  6	  &	  6.6	  GHz:	  	  
• Version	  1:	  H-­‐pol	  for	  ocean	  wind	  speed,	  	  
• Version	  2:	  dual-­‐pol	  for	  ocean	  wind	  vectors	  
Performance	  CharacterisFcs:	  
• Earth	  Incidence	  angle:	  0°-­‐	  60°,	  	  
• SpaFal	  ResoluFon:	  2-­‐5	  km,	  	  
• Swath:	  ~70	  km	  for	  20	  km	  alFtude	  
ObservaFonal	  Goals:	  
WS	  10	  -­‐	  >85	  m/s	  	  	  RR	  5	  -­‐	  >	  100	  mm/hr	  
Technology Transfer 
Operational 
Reconnaissance 
Hurricane Aircraft 
Participation in NASA 
2010 Hurricane 
Research Mission  
GRIP (WB-57) 
Satellite Demonstration 
of Improved Hurricane 
Ocean  Surface Vector 
Winds and Rain Rate 
Technology Brassboard 
Demonstration  in 
Laboratory	  
Earl and Karl Flights 
Karl 16 Sept 2010 
NASA Venture-
Class  mission 
HS3 (Global 
Hawk)	  
Ocean surface emission is affected by: 
•  Sea surface temperature 
•  Wind speed (foam fraction) 
•  Salinity 
After production of calibrated Tb fields, 
geophysical fields wind speed and rain rate 
(or column) are retrieved  
SFMR	  
SFMR	  
 
F
o
igure 1. B
n analyses from
est track positi
 the NOAA Oc
ons for Hurrica
ean Prediction 
ne Earl, 25 Au
Center and the 
23
gust – 4 Septem
Canadian Hurri
ber 2010.  Tra
cane Center.
ck during the e
 
xtratropical sta
 
ge is based 
HIRAD flight 
 13
 
Figure 1. Best track positions for Hurricane Karl, 14-18 September 2010.  
HIRAD flight 
Earl 
Karl 
In the figure to the right, HIRAD 5 
GHz excess Tb (left) and P-3 lower 
fuselage radar reflectivity at flight 
level are shown for two times.  The 
green “diamond” indicates 
approximate position of the WB-57 at 
the time of P-3 storm center crossing 
in the corresponding figure to the 
right.  Key features may be seen in 
both observations: 
1) Peak eyewall Z centered left of 
track and open eyewall right of 
track due to easterly 
environmental shear. 
2) Outer eyewall concentric 
rainband, which together with the 
eyewall contracts slightly between 
the two composites. 
3) Evolving outer rainband 
structure. 
 
 
 
HIRAD 5 GHz excess Tb P-3 LF radar reflectivity 
WB-57 flight 
track 
WB-57 flight 
track 
P-3 center crossing ~20:44 UTC 
P-3 center crossing ~19:29 UTC 
Storm 
track 
WB-57 location 
at 19:29 UTC 
WB-57 
location at 
20:44 UTC 
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20120003062 2019-08-30T19:28:49+00:00Z


Observations of C-Band Brightness Temperature and Ocean Surface Wind Speed and Rain Rate in Hurricanes Earl and Karl (2010)

Observations of C-Band Brightness Temperature and Ocean Surface Wind Speed and Rain Rate in Hurricanes Earl and Karl (2010)

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