Adler, Robert

Blackwell, Bill

Braun, Scott

Brennan, Michael

Cossuth, Joshua

Dunion, Jason

Green, David

Murray, John

Velden, Chris

Zavodsky, Bradley

NASA Technical Reports Server

11D.3:  Applications of NASA TROPICS Data for Tropical Cyclone 
Analysis, Nowcasting, and Impact
Bradley Zavodsky (NASA/MSFC), Jason Dunion (UM/NOAA/AOML), Bill Blackwell (MIT LL), Scott Braun 
(NASA/GSFC), David Green (NASA/HQ), Chris Velden (UW/CIMSS), Robert Adler (UM/CICS), Joshua Cossuth (NRL), 
John Murray (NASA/LaRC), and Michael Brennan (NOAA/NHC)
Presentation to the 33rd Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology
NASA Science Mission Directorate
Earth Science Division
Applied Sciences Program
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20180002556 2019-08-29T22:22:51+00:00Z
Why does NASA Study Hurricanes?
2
• Hurricanes result in large impacts to 
human population and infrastructure
– Hundreds of deaths in 2017
– $369.6B ($206.6B U.S.) damage in 2017†
• Weather community still has unanswered 
questions related to hurricane 
development regarding causes of:
– Rapid intensification (RI; all 3 2017 major 
U.S. landfalling hurricanes underwent RI)
– Eyewall replacement cycles
– Diurnal pulsing
• Mounting evidence that climate change is 
resulting in conditions that are more 
favorable for major hurricanes
†Source: Charles Watson Jr. of Enki Holdings, LLC and Mark Johnson of JISC, Inc.
VIIRS Natural Color 
of Hurricane Irma 
(2017) (NASA 
WorldView)
MIMIC TPW of TS 
Jose (2017) (U. 
Wisc. CIMSS)
GPM MI and DPR of Hurricane Maria (2017)
Current State of Observation and Forecasting
• Numerical models provide information on 
storm track, capturing environment for 
steering and strengthening (or weakening)
• Intensity is measured using in situ 
observations, including dropsondes during 
aircraft missions
• Satellites help understand storm structure,                                                            
which relates to intensity
– Geostationary measurements rely on visible                                                                                   
and infrared wavelengths that can see                                                            
shape and motion but lack the ability to                                                               
see through clouds
– Passive microwave sensors can see                                                              
through clouds but are limited to polar-
orbiting or high-inclination orbits, reducing                                                    
ability to study storm evolution 3
Hurricane Maria (2017) from GOES-16 ABI 
(SPoRT)
TROPICS Mission Overview
• Earth Venture Instrument proposal selection 
by NASA with a cost-cap of $30M to measure 
tropical cyclone structure and demonstrate 
SmallSat technology
• Design
– 6 CubeSats with 12-channel passive 
microwave radiometer (MicroMAS-2)
– Provide rapid-refresh observations of 
temperature and moisture soundings and 
precipitation over the tropics with <60 minute 
revisit time
– Meet requirements for temporal refresh 
needed to study storm evolution with ability to 
see into clouds
• SmallSat vehicles to be delivered in 2019 with 
launch planned for 2020 timeframe 4TROPICS = Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation 
structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats
More details in Posters 249 and 250 on 
Thursday afternoon 
NASA Earth Science Division Applied 
Science Program
5https://appliedsciences.nasa.gov/
• NASA’s Applied Science 
program engages with the 
decision-making 
community to provide 
access to and expertise 
using NASA Earth Science 
datasets
• NASA is continuously 
looking for opportunities 
to partner with other 
private sector, state/local 
government, disaster 
responders, university, 
and other federal agencies 
to provide value-added 
observations to support 
decision makers
6• Meeting Objectives
– Introduce a broad community of potential end-users to 
the expected value of TROPICS by reviewing mission 
specifications and status
– Review TROPICS data applications through 
presentations and breakout discussions
– Provide a forum for applied researchers and 
operational decision makers to share insight into how 
observations from TROPICS can be used in their 
organizations and challenges to their application
– Begin establishment of a user community that can be 
used to highlight potential TROPICS applications and 
accelerate post-launch applications
– Hard copy of the report available upon request (see 
me at the meeting) or go to Workshop website:  
http://tropics.ccs.miami.edu/workshop-summary/
First TROPICS Applications Workshop
• Four application areas were identified and reported on
– Terrestrial:  high-temporal resolution precipitation data can supplement tropical regions that lack 
ground-based radar coverage
– TC Analysis and Nowcasting:  providing mission observations and imagery to operational 
hurricane forecasters who rely on satellite data to diagnose storm structure
– TC Modeling and Data Assimilation:  increased temporal frequency when used with 4DVAR 
techniques may aid in improving intensity forecasts
– Tropical Dynamics:  applied research to determine convective extremes and trends in precipitation 
and severe storms not resolved well enough with current temporal frequency of observations
• End-users want temporal refresh of 30 – 60 minutes to address research and forecasting 
challenges related to tropical cyclones; more than 3 hours doesn’t add to current datasets
• Most users want data latency of < 1 hour; > 3 hours makes data difficult to use for operations
• Mission data need to be provided in data formats compatible with user modeling and decision 
support systems
Meeting Take-Aways
7
TROPICS Latency Challenges
• Data latency: amount of time between 
observation and data availability
• Driver for long data latency is downlink of 
data from satellites to ground station
• Mission has purchased ground services 
from Kongsberg Satellite Service (KSAT)
– Service is “pay to play”
– TROPICS data will have an average latency 
of 6 hours to meet mission requirements 
using 1 station (top)
– For an additional $500K/yr, latency could be 
reduced to less than 1 hour (bottom) which 
would optimize application ability and 
increase potential use for decision making
8
Dubai (Primary)
Mauritius (Secondary)
Hawaii (Secondary)
Dubai (Primary)
Mauritius (Secondary)
Hawaii (Secondary)
Singapore (Secondary)
Panama (Secondary)
Cordoba (Secondary) Hartebeesthoek (Primary)
Current configuration to meet mission requirements
Configuration to optimize applications
• Goal of proxy data is to accelerate the 
use of mission data in 
operational/decision-making 
environments
• Proxy data are being developed using 
modeled data from a hurricane Nature 
run, FY-3C, and from recently-launched 
MicroMAS-2a (see left)
– Simulated datasets that match the 
spatial, temporal, and spectral frequency 
of planned satellite architecture
– Plan to make data available in multiple 
data formats for easier, earlier integration
• Proxy datasets will first be available to 
the TROPICS Science Team for 
evaluation and then once mature will be 
made available to the Early Adopter 
community (see next slide)
Status of Proxy Datasets
9
Images show some preliminary data going 
through 6 RPM (full operations is 30 RPM) 
producing non-”science mode” data  Note 
the convective cell observed in the
183 GHz data (circled)
Image from FY-3C MWHS of Typhoon 
Vongfong
Early-look 
simulated TROPICS 
data derived from 
the Hurricane 
Nature Run 
showing temporal 
resolution of data
• Establishment of an Early Adopter (EA) community 
for TROPICS is underway
• Allows formal, albeit unfunded, connection to 
science team for early access to data and ability to 
ask questions about the data and provide feedback 
on early products
– The EA will receive access to developmental products 
and interaction with the Applications Team and a 
relevant member of the Science Team to enable an 
increased understanding and integration of the new 
products into their systems
– The Science Team member will gain a partner who 
can evaluate products and offer feedback from a 
functionality perspective as well as potential 
calibration and validation information
• Contact Brad Zavodsky (brad.zavodsky@nasa.gov) 
for a copy of the application form
Early Adopter Activities
10
Get Involved
• We would love to learn more about how your group uses satellite data to 
study or make decisions regarding tropical weather or climate
– Become an EA!
– Subscribe to our TROPICS Applications Mailing List for mission updates and 
other opportunities on the applications website: 
https://www.nsstc.uah.edu/tropics/
– Participate in quarterly calls—next call will be in June 2018; we are always 
looking for presenters willing to share their potential use of TROPICS data at a 
future meeting
• Contact me at brad.zavodsky@nasa.gov if you have any questions or would 
like to get involved
11


Applications of NASA TROPICS Data for Tropical Cyclone Analysis, Nowcasting, and Impacts

Applications of NASA TROPICS Data for Tropical Cyclone Analysis, Nowcasting, and Impacts

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