Improved Use of Satellite Imagery to Forecast Hurricanes

By: Nasa, National Aeronautics and Space Adm

This project tested a novel method that uses satellite imagery to correct phase errors in the initial state for numerical weather prediction, applied to hurricane forecasts. The system was tested on hurricanes Guillermo (1997), Felicia (1997) and Iniki (1992). We compared the performance of the system with and without phase correction to a procedure that uses bogus data in the initial state, similar to current operational procedures. The phase correction keeps the hurricane on track in the analysis and is far superior to a system without phase correction. Compared to operational procedure, phase correction generates somewhat worse 3-day forecast of the hurricane track, but better forecast of intensity. It is believed that the phase correction module would work best in the context of 4-dimensional variational data assimilation. Very little modification to 4DVar would be required.Louis, Jean-FrancoisGoddard Space Flight CenterNUMERICAL WEATHER FORECASTING; HURRICANES; PHASE ERROR; SATELLITE IMAGERY; ATMOSPHERIC MODELS; SATELLITE SOUNDING; APPLICATIONS PROGRAMS (COMPUTERS); CALIBRATING; RADIOSONDES

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1723731161
• ISBN13: 9781723731167
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 34 Pages
• Weight: 0.23 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 8.5" x 11.0"