Berndt, Emily

Blackwell, Bill

Braun, Scott A.

Dunion, Jason

Green, David S.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

An Overview of NASA TROPICS Applications 
and Early Adopter Activities
Emily Berndt (NASA/MSFC), Jason Dunion (UM/NOAA/AOML), 
Bill Blackwell (MIT LL), Scott Braun (NASA/GSFC), David Green (NASA/HQ)
NASA Science Mission Directorate
Earth Science Division
Applied Sciences Program
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20200000467 2020-03-11T12:40:43+00:00Z
TROPICS Mission Overview
• Earth Venture Instrument proposal selection 
by NASA 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
2TROPICS = Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation 
structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats
TROPICS Early Adopter Program
3
• What is an Early Adopter: Groups or individuals who have an interest in utilizing 
TROPICS data 
• Goal: Build capacity to accelerate the integration of TROPICS in research and application 
quickly after launch
• Objectives:
• Value: identify advantages and limitations that can be exploited or addressed prior to 
launch
Identify applied 
research and 
applications areas
Use current sensors 
and proxy data to 
demonstrate 
TROPICS 
capabilities and 
values
Foster interaction 
between the Science 
Team and 
community
4• 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 - 2017
• 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
5
Application Focus Areas
6
Terrestrial / 
Disasters
Disaster risk 
management
Flash Flooding
Landslides
Land surface 
classification
Drought
Tropical Cyclone 
Analysis and 
Forecasting
Formation
Structure & 
Intensity
Position 
estimates
Rapid 
Intensification
Tropical 
convective 
lifecycle
Tropical Cyclone 
Modeling and 
Data Assimilation
Global and 
mesoscale 
models
Assimilation 
approaches
OSSE studies
Intensity 
models
Radiative 
transfer 
models
Tropical Cyclone 
and Tropical 
Dynamics
Tropical 
Cyclone 
Structure
Madden-Julian 
Oscillation
Tropical 
Cyclone 
Diurnal Cycle
Mesoscale 
Systems
Rapid 
Intensification
Early Adopter Examples
7
Meteo France developed a data assimilation 
method for Megha-Tropiques SAPHIR and plan to 
follow the method to assimilate TROPICS 
observations
Use ATMS to develop a Bayesian Monte Carlo 
Integration technique to retrieve atmospheric 
varaibles and assimilate in GSI+GEOS system
Early Adopter Examples
8
Assessing the ability of 
the HNR proxy data to 
resolve the Tropical 
cyclone Diurnal Cycle
Use of real-time NOAA-20 CrIS/ATMS profiles to 
support hurricane field campaigns during Dorian 
as a demonstration of a future TROPICS 
application
Dry air intrusion
NUCAPS 596 mb water vapor
748 UTC
601 UTC NOAA-20
• 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 and the FY-3C satellite
– 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
• Science Team recently released a 
version consistent with post-launch 
format
Status of Proxy Datasets
9
simulated TROPICS data derived from the Hurricane Nature Run
Proxy Data
10
Proxy data is currently available here: https://www.nsstc.uah.edu/tropics/get_involved.html
But will be moved to a new site by Feb. 1 2020 https://weather.msfc.nasa.gov/tropics/products_proxy.html
Get Involved
• 2nd TROPICS Applications Workshop 19-20 February 2020 
http://tropics.ccs.miami.edu/
• 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
– Participate in quarterly calls
– Check out the proxy dataset
• Contact me at emily.b.berndt@nasa.gov if you have any questions or would 
like to get involved
• Our new website will be launched soon: https://weather.msfc.nasa.gov/tropics/
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An Overview of NASA TROPICS Applications and Early Adopter Activities

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